Marine police seize assortment of contraband firecrackers worth RM500,000

TUMPAT: The Marine police have detected a syndicate, that smuggles contraband firecrackers into the country using Pulau Besar as a transit point following the seizure of the goods worth RM500,000, yesterday.
Third Region Marine Police commander, ACP Azmi Ibrahim said it was a new tactic to use the island for their modus operandi.
He said the island, located in the South China Sea, was in contrast with the usual smuggling activities that centred at Sungai Golok along the Malaysia-Thailand border.
"The seizure was made after a five-hour surveillance, at 2 pm, on the contraband firecrackers wrapped in 110 boxes found at a river bank, as nobody came to pick them," he told reporters at Pengkalan Kubor marine police office here, today.
He added the smuggling activities were activated prior to the Aidilfitri celebration in an attempt to evade the authority's detection.
He said the firecrackers were meant to be sold for the domestic market, including in Terengganu and other states.
From January until early May, the Pengkalan Kubor marine police have confiscated contraband goods worth more than RM600,000. – Bernama