Maritime authorities foil bid to smuggle 7 tonnes of rice in Tawau
The boat was detected during Ops Pluto Timur, Ops Sejahtera, and Ops Tiris about 0.75 nautical miles south of Kuala Sungai Tawau, as it travelled from Batu Tiga towards Pulau Sebatik at 4.20am.
Tawau Maritime Zone director, Captain Maritim Ariffin Ghazali, said initial checks revealed the vessel was operated by a 20-year-old Sabahan in possession of questionable identification documents.
Also onboard was a 25-year-old Indonesian man holding a passport but without a valid work permit.
"Preliminary investigations found the boat operator failed to produce permits for transporting controlled goods or customs declaration documents for the cargo intended for Pulau Sebatik," he said in a statement today.
Further inspection uncovered 700 sacks of rice weighing a total of 7,000kg and 30 boxes of cooking oil packets weighing 510kg stored in the cargo hold.
Ariffin said the total value of the seized items, including the boat and engine, was about RM300,000. Authorities believe the goods were intended for sale in a neighbouring country.
Both suspects have been detained for further investigation under the Supply Control Act 1961, Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994, Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63, and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department Enactment 2002.
"Investigations are also looking into possible cross-border smuggling activities, following the circulation of several viral video clips showing Malaysian goods being seized by foreign enforcement agencies," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
3 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Two critical, three stable after police helicopter crash
All five received immediate medical attention from specialist doctors at the hospital shortly after the incident. 10 Jul 2025 05:27pm A police helicopter performing a fly-past simulation in conjunction with the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore 2025 Nuclear Security Detection Multilateral Training Program (MITSATOM 2025) before being involved in an accident near Sungai Pulai today. - Bernama photo JOHOR BAHRU - Two of the five police personnel involved in this morning's helicopter crash during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM 2025) in Gelang Patah are reported to be in critical condition and require respiratory assistance. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the other three victims are in stable condition and being treated at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor Bahru. Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail (left), along with the Johor Police Chief, Datuk M. Kumar (centre), inspect the site of the police helicopter involved in an accident during training for the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore 2025 Nuclear Security Detection Multilateral Training Program (MITSATOM 2025) at the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) jetty in Johor today. - Bernama photo He said all five received immediate medical attention from specialist doctors at the hospital shortly after the incident. "Alhamdulillah, with the help and expertise of the specialists at HSA, I believe we can provide them with the best possible treatment. We pray for their recovery and hope they can return to duty as usual, God willing,' he told Bernama when met at HSA. According to him, three of the victims are members of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Air Wing Unit, while the other two are attached to the Tanjung Kupang police station. Commenting on claims that the helicopter was an ageing asset, Mohd Khalid said age is not a major factor if proper maintenance is carried out. "Being old is not a problem. What matters is that maintenance is done well. What happened was something beyond our control,' he said. Mohd Khalid said police will look after the welfare of all the personnel involved and their families. The AS355N helicopter belonging to PDRM crashed into the waters near the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency jetty during an honour flypast held as part of the MITSATOM 2025 exercise involving Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore. In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said the helicopter with registration number 9M-PHG had departed from Tanjung Kupang police station at 9.51 am with five people on board, including the pilot. CAAM said further investigation will be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Transport in accordance with Part XXVI Civil Aviation Regulations 2016. - BERNAMA More Like This
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Police helicopter crash: Search for black box is a priority, says IGP
ISKANDAR PUTERI: Police are focusing efforts on locating the black box of the helicopter that crashed near Sungai Pulai, Gelang Patah, on Thursday (July 10) morning to determine the cause of the incident, says Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail. The Inspector-General of Police said the search is being carried out in collaboration with several relevant agencies, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and other agencies with technical investigation expertise. In addition to locating the black box, efforts are also underway to recover the wreckage of the helicopter, which is believed to have sunk to the riverbed. "A coordinated effort is being carried out with the cooperation of various agencies, involving highly specialised technical expertise," he said after inspecting the crash site near the MMEA Jetty in Gelang Patah Thursday. Also present was Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar. According to Mohd Khalid, the process of recovering the helicopter wreckage is expected to take some time as it requires specialised expertise and equipment for underwater operations. "So far, we cannot confirm when the wreckage will be retrieved, as it will require specific expertise, possibly even from third-party sources. I've been informed that the river is about 7m deep, which complicates matters," he said. All five police personnel on board survived the crash, but two of them were seriously injured. The AS355N helicopter crashed while performing a flypast as part of a demonstration during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (Mitsatom 2025), which involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. - Bernama
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
IGP: Recovery of black box from crashed police helicopter requires specialised expertise
JOHOR BARU: Efforts to recover the black box and extract the wreckage of the police-owned AS355N helicopter that crashed into Sungai Pulai will require specialised expertise and support from multiple agencies. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the depth of the river, estimated at 25 feet, posed a major challenge to the recovery operation. "We are still waiting for updates on the black box. The search effort involves several agencies including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and others with relevant expertise," he said after visiting the crash site at the Sungai Pulai Maritime Jetty on Thursday evening. Also present was Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar. Mohd Khalid said the wreckage extraction process was expected to take time, as it would require skilled personnel with experience in underwater recovery. Meanwhile, the five victims of the crash have been identified as three men and two women. Two remain in critical condition and are on assisted ventilation, while the remaining three are reported to be stable. "The MRI results for the injured victims have not been released. I urge all parties not to speculate on the incident," he said. He also gave his assurance that the police would continue to ensure the welfare of the affected officers and personnel. Earlier, the police helicopter was reported to have crashed into Sungai Pulai during a Field Training Exercise (FTX) for the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise, Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore 2025 (MITSATOM 2025). The incident occurred at 10.15am near the MMEA jetty in Jalan Cabang, Pekajang, Gelang Patah. It is understood that all five crew members, comprising three men and two women, who were part of the exercise, survived the crash. The helicopter had departed from the Tanjung Kupang police station at 9.51am with five people on board, including the pilot.
