KOTA KINABALU: Two Filipinos who tried to smuggle out 12 containers of petrol to a neighbouring country were detained by the Kudat Zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) yesterday.
Kudat Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne said the boat used by the two suspects, aged 19 and 51, was spotted about four nautical miles off Pulau Kankamat waters when a maritime vessel was making its rounds under Op Tiris at about 4am.
“Inspection carried out inside the boat found several blue containers filled with petrol but the duo did not have any documents or permit to carry the consignment. Both suspects also did not have any personal identification documents on them,“ he said in a statement here today.
Maurice said the petrol and boat was seized and the two suspects detained for investigations.
He said the Kudat Zone Maritime urge people living in the area, especially the Kudat Maritime community to report any criminal activities in the sea to the MMEA at 088-611858 (Kudat Operations Centre) or the MERS 999 number that operates 24 hours.
