TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) recorded its biggest seizure in Sabah and Labuan since its establishment after intercepting a cigarette smuggling syndicate and confiscating 150,700 cartons of white cigarettes worth RM24.2 million, including taxes, off Pulau Sipadan, Semporna, on Tuesday.
Sabah and Labuan Maritime Director First Admiral Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid @ Razali said the cigarettes, believed to have been smuggled from Vietnam, were intended for markets in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
The seizure comprised 2,956 boxes of Bossqu cigarettes, 40 boxes of New Aris, 15 boxes of Berlin and three boxes of New Far, with each box containing 50 cartons.
He said the operation, conducted under Ops Sejahtera and Op Tiris by KM Kidurong and 12 enforcement officers from the Tawau Maritime Zone, resulted in total seizures valued at RM65.7 million.
The figure includes a cargo vessel, a kumpit boat, navigation and communication equipment, GPS devices, radar systems, mobile phones and ship documents.
Speaking at a press conference at the Tawau Maritime Zone Office Wednesday, Mohd Khairulanuar said authorities arrested 20 men aged between 26 and 62, comprising Malaysians as well as Indonesian, Filipino, Myanmar and Indian nationals.
The two main suspects were identified as the Filipino skipper of the cargo vessel and the Indonesian skipper of the kumpit boat.
He said the breakthrough followed months of intelligence gathering on the influx of new untaxed cigarette brands in the market.
Maritime patrols detected suspicious activity about seven nautical miles south of Sipadan, where crews were found transferring boxes from a cargo vessel to a kumpit boat. Inspections revealed the boxes contained white cigarettes.
The cargo vessel was reportedly registered in Malaysia and carried documents showing Tawau as its next destination, although the authenticity of the documents is being investigated as Tawau is not an authorised transit port for such goods.
The kumpit boat, meanwhile, had no registration documents and is believed to have been operating illegally.
All suspects remain in MMEA custody pending remand applications.
The case is being investigated under the Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63 and Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.
Mohd Khairulanuar said MMEA remains committed to combating cross-border crimes and urged the public to report suspicious activities at sea.
