MIRI: Contraband items such as cigarettes and beer worth RM3,825,280 were seized by the Miri General Operations Force (GOF) in raids on Tuesday.
A total of 6,204 boxes of beer and 13,530 cartons of cigarettes were confiscated from three different locations here.
Sarawak GOF commander SAC Dato Khaw Kok Chin said the operation dubbed ‘Ops Libas Risikan’ that began at 8.30am was a joint effort between Sarawak GOF, Miri GOF and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC).
The raids were made after a month of surveillance work done by a team lead by Insp Lokman Adli Ihsan.
The first location was a premises at Jalan Grand Park 5 Riam, in which the team found 3,513 boxes of beer inside.
“They later proceeded to the second location—a house at Jalan Nasturium 1/1 Riam, about 5km from the first place—and uncovered more contraband. This time, 6,280 cartons of cigarettes.
“At the third location in Kuala Baram, GOF personnel uncovered 7,250 cartons of cigarettes and 2,691 boxes of beer,” SAC Khaw elaborated.
“This is the GOF’s biggest haul so far this year,” he told the media yesterday.
A 44-year-old man was also detained to facilitate investigation.
“The man was nabbed from the first location.”
“We believe the contraband items were brought here via sea routes,” Khaw said, adding that preliminary investigation revealed that the items were meant to be distributed to Sibu, Limbang, Lawas and Labuan.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
Also present during the press conference were Khaw’s deputy, ACP Kaderi Said and Miri GOF commanding officer Supt Tan Hiap Seng.
