KUDAT: An attempt to smuggle untaxed cigarettes using a ferry service was foiled by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), here, recently.
Kudat Maritime Zone Director Maritime Commander Hasbullah Omar said the operation was carried out after his team received intelligence information on the movement of smuggled cigarettes in Kudat waters using the Kudat-Banggi ferry service.
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“Acting on the intelligence, an MMEA patrol boat was deployed and an inspection was conducted on the ferry, leading to the detention of a 34-year-old local man suspected of attempting to smuggle untaxed cigarettes to Pulau Banggi,” he said.
He said further inspection uncovered six boxes containing cigarettes with an estimated total value of about RM6,000.
“The suspect and the seized items were brought to the Kudat Maritime Zone Office for further investigation under the Customs Act 1967 for possession and transportation of suspected untaxed cigarettes,” he added.
Hasbullah said the Kudat Maritime Zone remains committed to combating smuggling activities and maritime crime, and urged the public to continue providing information should they detect any suspicious activities in Malaysian waters by contacting the emergency hotline 999 or the Kudat Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 088-611858 for immediate action.
