Sabah smugglers jump into sea, abandon RM601,400 cigarette smuggling haul
TAWAU: A group of smugglers dived into the sea to escape a police raid early yesterday, abandoning two boats loaded with cigarettes worth RM461,400.
The Sabah Marine Police Force conducted a raid at Kampung Sri Aman Jetty in Batu 3, resulting in smugglers diving into the sea to escape capture. The operation, which took place at 2.20am, led to the seizure of two unnumbered fibreglass boats and two 200-horsepower Yamaha engines, with a total estimated value of RM601,400. The authorities found 250,000 sticks of Premium International brand white cigarettes worth RM375,000 and 48,000 sticks of Menara Dunia branded cigarettes worth RM86,400.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, with the force pledging to intensify intelligence, patrols, and enforcement operations to secure the country's waters.
Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
