SARIKEI: A dredging vessel and its crew of three have been detained by the marine police for allegedly stealing sand in Tanjung Burung here.
Marine police intelligence and operations chief Fakharuddin Amri Sanusi said the vessel, loaded with about 350 tonnes of sand worth over RM1.29 mln, was spotted during an operation dubbed ‘Ops Pintasan’ at about 11.30am on Wednesday.
“Acting on surveillance information, a team from Sarikei detained a vessel carrying out sand dredging activities in Sungai Burung.
“We ordered the workers to cease all activities. Two of the three suspects were locals while the other was an Indonesian. They failed to produce any valid documentation,” he said in a statement.
“The seized items were handed over to the Land and Survey Department here for further action.”
