Liquor, fags worth nearly RM700,000 seized in Tongod

Kota Kinabalu: Nearly RM700,000 worth of contraband liquor and cigarettes were seized by the General Operations Force (GOF)’s Tiger platoon during a raid at a village in Tongod.

Sandakan-based GOF Battalion 15 Commander Supt Toipi Lamat said on Monday that they seized a total of 499 cartons of liquor and 4,560 packets of cigarette valued at RM693,108 during a raid at Kg Singah Mata, at 8.10pm, on Sunday.

However, there were no immediate arrests made and investigations are being carried out under the Customs Act 1967.

He said intelligence gathering found a house in the area that was being used as a transit point by smugglers to move contraband goods to various areas in the State.

He said the Tiger platoon squad found three lorries with one loaded with contraband cigarettes of various brands in boxes.

The team subsequently searched a store below the house and found the liquor.

“Initial investigations showed that the house was being used as a transit point by smugglers dealing in contraband goods brought in from the Kota Kinabalu area,” he said.

He said they suspect the contraband goods were to be distributed for sale to Sandakan and Beluran districts on the east coast.