KUALA TERENGGANU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MAMA) seized contraband cigarettes estimated to be worth RM250,000 in the Kuala Besut estuary area yesterday morning.
Terengganu MMEA director, Maritime Captain Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid said the seizure was made at about 3 am during Ops Serop which focused on cigarette smuggling activities at sea.
“While patrolling on Feb 7 we detected an outboard engine boat moving in a suspicious manner in Besut waters but on realising the presence of our patrol boat the suspect fled towards the shallow estuary,“ he told a press conference here today.
Mohd Khairulanuar said the patrol members then contacted their teammates on the ground who managed to locate a lorry at the Kuala Besut estuary.
“The suspect, believed to be a local escaped leaving behind a blue plastic package containing 410,000 cigarettes in the truck.
“The suspect’s modus operandi is to smuggle cigarettes by sea and transfer them to land using small boats,” he said adding that lorries would be waiting to collect the cigarettes at certain locations on the coast.
He said it is believed that there are over 20 locations in the coastal area that are used as transit points for the distribution of contraband cigarettes and urged those with information on the activity contact the authorities.
The case is being investigated under Section 135 (1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 which provides for a fine of not more than 20 times the value of the goods or RM500,000 or imprisonment of not less than six months and not exceeding five years or both. - Bernama