KUCHING: Sarawak Brigade General Operations Force (PGA) succeeded in their three operations namely in ‘Ops Libas’ and ‘Ops Benteng Covid’ yesterday.
According to Commander of Sarawak PGA SAC Mancha Ata the first success of Ops Benteng Covid was on last Wednesday, when Sarawak GOF personnel arrested a man at Raso Post, Lundu around 9.30pm.
The 35-year-old man was arrested during a snap check duty by the personnel that found the man who was walking out from an oil palm field.
“Further inspection found that the man was carrying one shotgun believed to be handmade, five bullets of Ammunition 12 Bore, a machete and a Yamaha-branded motorcycle.
“The suspect has been arrested for allegedly committing crime under Arms Act 1960,” he said in a statement.
GOF personnel also confiscated from the suspect all the aforesaid items found on him when he was arrested. He has been handed over to Lundu District police for further action.
Secondly, the GOF success in Ops Benteng Covid was when its personnel, including officers, arrested two suspicious looking foreign men in Biawak, Lundu.
Upon further inspection they found that the men, both Indonesian nationals, had no valid travel documents and were attempting to leave Indonesia through unspecified routes.
The suspects were arrested under Section 6(1)(c) of Immigration Act 1959/63 for failing to provide valid travel documents, and they have been sent to Lundu District police for further action.
Lastly, the third success achieved by Sarawak GOF was in Ops Libas whereby the 10th Battalion of GOF (PGA 10) in Sibu seized a total of 1,250 cartons of illicit cigarettes worth RM158,424 Including taxes during a raid on an old pier in Durin yesterday around 9.15am.
Mancha stated that the team had been spying and inspecting an old pier in Durin as the location was believed to be a place for smuggling.
“The illicit goods will usually be smuggled to Kapit and nearby areas using the river for transportation.
“Such operations will be carried out from time to time by PGA 10 in an effort to combat smuggling activities, particularly alcohol and cigarettes in Sibu and surrounding areas,” he concluded.
The confiscated contrabands were sent to Sibu District police for further action but no arrest was made during the raid.
The confiscation was made under Section 135 (1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
