5 days ago
Skipper, assistant held for carrying rice, cooking oil
Published on: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Published on: Thu, Jun 26, 2025
By: Amir Anuar Text Size: Enforcement officer guarding the boat skipper and seized goods. TAWAU: A cargo boat was found carrying seven tonnes of rice and 510 kilogrammes of subsidised cooking oil without authorisation to Sebatik Island. The skipper was detained by a team from the Tawau Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritim Malaysia) at 0.75 nautical miles south of Kuala Sungai Tawau on Tuesday. Tawau Maritime Zone Director Captain (M) Ariffin Ghazali said the total value of the seized items, including the cargo boat and engine, is estimated about RM30,000. 'The arrest was conducted through Operations Pluto Timur, Sejahtera and Tiris. The boat was spotted in a suspicious manner from Batu Tiga Jalan Apas waters heading towards Sebatik. 'Our team found 700 sacks of rice (10kg each) and 30 boxes of packaged cooking oil during a search of the cargo boat,' he said here Wednesday. Ariffin added that the discovery led to the arrest of the 20-year-old male skipper who was steering the boat, along with his 25-year-old male assistant. The captain's identification documents were found to be suspicious and the suspect also lacked the necessary permit and customs clearance documents to transport goods to Sebatik. 'Further investigations revealed that the assistant was a passport holder from a neighbouring country who did not possess any valid work permit to work on the boat,' he said. Both suspects, along with the seized goods, including the cargo boat, were subsequently taken to Tawau Maritime Zone Jetty for examination and further investigations. He said investigations would also consider the possibility of smuggling, especially in light of several viral video clips related to the seizure of Malaysian goods in neighbouring countries. 'The investigation is being conducted under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, the Padi and Rice Control Act 1994 (Act 522), the Customs Act 1967, the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Docks Enactment 2002,' he said. He added that enforcement efforts to combat illegal activities would continue to be intensified across the East Sabah Security Zone (Esszone). Ariffin also said that Maritime Malaysia is committed to strengthening cooperation with other agencies to ensure that compliance with national laws remains a priority. 'We also welcome information regarding any suspected criminal activity around Tawau waters to be reported to the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-752116.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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