TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle out cosmetic items and controlled goods worth some RM115,000.
A MMEA patrol vessel found the items in a boat that was heading to Sebatik Island, off here, at about 3.40pm on Monday.
Tawau MMEA Director Capt Shahrizan Raman said the boat was skippered by a 45-year-old local, who was assisted by a 35-year-old Indonesian.
He said the two men were transporting the items without proper documents.
“We found 1,776kg of sugar, 867kg of cooking oil in packets, 375 litres of petrol and six liquefied petroleum (LPG) cylinders that were hidden under heaps of grocery items,” he said, Wednesday.
“We also found cosmetic products of various brands that we believe were intended to be smuggled to a neighbouring country. They failed to produce the necessary papers to transport all the items,” he added.
Shahrizan said the suspects as well as seized items were brought to the MMEA Tawau jetty for investigations under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.
“All seized items, including the boat and its load, are worth about RM115,000,” he said.
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