SANDAKAN: Marine police have foiled an attempt to smuggle RM19,800 worth of controlled goods to a neighbouring country with the arrest of a Filipino man on Friday.
Among the items confiscated were fuel, gas cylinders, cooking oil, granulated sugar, rice flour, wheat flour, and ammonium nitrate.
The team on patrol duty made the seizure after spotting a fishing trawler, with the 32-year-old man on board, anchored near the Mile 2 river mouth at 10.30am.
Sabah Marine Police commander Assistant Commissioner Mohd Yazib Abd Aziz said marine personnel conducted a search on the boat and found the controlled items hidden in the storage compartment.
“We seized two drums of diesel (400 litres); RON 95 petrol (2,600 litres); 43 jerry cans of RON 95 petrol (1,400 litres); 30 gas cylinders; 66 packets of wheat flour; 67 packets of cooking oil; 58 packets of granulated sugar; 43 packets of rice flour; and 18 sacks of Ammonium Nitrate.
“We suspect these goods were to be smuggled to the Philippines,” he said in a statement, adding police also seized the trawler worth about RM220,000.
Mohd Yazib said the man was arrested under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, adding that the case will be referred to the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry.
