TAWAU: A 29-year-old local skipper, suspected of acting as a “fuel runner”, was arrested after his vessel was intercepted by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in waters off Pulau Sebatik, here, on Monday.
Tawau Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Captain Ariffin Ghazali, said the suspect was found carrying subsidised packet cooking oil and fuel without permit.
“Checks on the cargo boat revealed 14 boxes of packet cooking oil and six jerry cans of about 120 litres of fuel,” he said.
Ariffin said the smuggling of small quantities of subsidised and controlled goods for local use into a neighbouring country is believed to be a recurring activity between mainland Tawau and Sebatik.
He added that the latest success was the result of prior intelligence, with a MMEA patrol boat conducting Op Pluto Timur and Op Tiris managing to detect and intercept the suspicious vessel.
“The cargo boat was stopped about 1.5 nautical miles north of the Aji Kuning river mouth in Sebatik at 12.40pm. Further checks also found that the skipper was not registered under the licence of the boat he was operating,” he said.
He said the suspect, along with the cargo boat and its load, estimated to be worth about RM43,000, was detained on suspicion of breaching laws related to controlled supplies and local shipping regulations.
The enforcement team later brought the skipper, vessel and seized items to the Tawau Maritime Zone jetty to be handed over to investigating officers under the Supply Control Act 1961 and the Sabah Ports and Harbours Department Enactment 2002.
“Enforcement operations in Tawau waters, identified as a smuggling hotspot, will continue to be intensified. We will not compromise on any violations of the law,” he said.
He urged members of the public with information on maritime crimes to contact the Tawau Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 089-750116 or the emergency line NG999 for immediate action.
