Kelantan MMEA Foils Smuggling Op Worth RM16.5 Mln, Biggest Seizure In Five Years

PASIR PUTEH, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Kelantan has scored its biggest seizure in five years after thwarting a major smuggling operation, with a combined value of confiscated white cigarettes, a vessel and a foiled tax evasion estimated to be around RM16.5 million.

State Maritime director, Maritime Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi, said the agency had seized 21 million sticks of cigarettes valued at RM1.7 million, with tax evasion gauged at RM13.8 million, along with the fishing vessel involved last Saturday.

“This is the largest seizure in the past five years. The case is being investigated under the Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63, Fisheries Act 1985 and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952,” he said during a press conference at MMEA Kelantan Headquarters today.

The seizure took place 17 nautical miles off Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat around 1.30 pm during a routine patrol of the Malaysia-Thailand waters, where the vessel was found to be moving suspiciously and lacked registration numbers, he said.

Despite the suspects’ attempt to flee towards Thai waters, the enforcement boat managed to intercept them after 15 minutes with MMEA officers executing a forced boarding, said Erwan Shah.

The vessel was found carrying seven Thai nationals aged between 21 and 47, with five of them holding dubious identification documents while two crew members had no valid documents at all.

Urine screenings showed four of the crew members tested positive for methamphetamine and are investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, he said.

He said that the vessel was found to have been modified into a cargo boat and was carrying 2,105 boxes of untaxed white cigarettes, suspected of being smuggled into Malaysia.

MMEA also believes the ship was supplying these cigarettes to northern Malaysia, with smaller boats collecting the contraband near the location where it was seized, he added.

-- BERNAMA