PASIR PUTEH: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle 24 boxes of uncustomed cigarettes worth about RM212,000 in an operation around the Kelantan River estuary last week.
Its Kelantan director Maritime Capt Kamal Mohamad said the success stemmed from intelligence received about a suspicious speedboat operating in the area at about 9pm on June 13.
He said MMEA assets were sent to the location at 9.10pm to conduct surveillance and search operations.
"During inspections along the Kelantan River, the operation team detected a boat travelling without navigation lights under suspicious circumstances.
"However, the boat fled through a narrow route or ‘rat trail’ to avoid being detained," he told a press conference here on Thursday (June 18).
Despite losing sight of the boat, he said the team continued combing the area and found a pile of brown boxes containing cigarettes on the riverbank near Kampung Penambang, Kota Baru.
Following the discovery, the team inspected a nearby wooden jetty belonging to a villager and the surrounding area within a 20m radius of the riverbank.
Capt Kamal said the inspection uncovered three multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) abandoned at the location and believed to have been used to transport the smuggled cigarettes.
"Checks on the vehicles found 24 boxes of cigarettes suspected to be uncustomed. The total value of the seizure is estimated at RM212,000," he said.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 135(e) of the Customs Act 1967 for transporting or transferring dutiable goods, items not cleared by Customs, or prohibited items without authorisation.
He also urged the public to continue channelling information on suspicious activities at sea or in coastal areas through the 999 emergency line or the Kelantan MMEA Headquarters operations centre at 09-778007 to help curb smuggling. – Bernama
