Sarawak’s General Operations Force seized RM3.7 million worth of contraband including cigarettes, liquor, frozen goods and gas cylinders in a two-week operation.
KUCHING: The General Operations Force Sarawak Brigade confiscated contraband worth RM3.7 million during Operation Taring conducted from October 27 to November 11.
The seized items included untaxed cigarettes, liquor, frozen products and gas cylinders smuggled without valid documentation.
PGA Sarawak Brigade Commander SAC Lim Bak Phai said the operation’s first success came on October 27 with the arrest of five individuals in Kuching.
Authorities seized 127 cartons of cigarettes and 386.16 litres of liquor valued at RM58,175.60 during these initial raids.
Separate operations in Kuching and Bau on the same day led to the detention of five more suspects aged between 19 and 26.
These raids yielded 290 cartons of cigarettes and 4,645.52 litres of liquor worth RM123,336.95.
A 53-year-old local man was detained in Kampung Stass, Bau for attempting to smuggle frozen food products without proper documentation.
The seizure included 19,200 packets of frozen sausages and a lorry valued at RM240,200.
On October 28, PGA arrested two local men aged 35 and 40 at premises in Sibu.
Officers confiscated 2,374 cartons of cigarettes, 3,332.4 litres of liquor and a van worth RM1,114,074.
The same day saw another arrest in Kampung Stass, Bau where a 54-year-old man attempted to smuggle gas cylinders.
Authorities seized 214 gas cylinders and a lorry valued at RM159,582.40 from this operation.
On October 31 in Sri Aman, PGA detained three individuals attempting to smuggle rice and gas cylinders.
The seizure included nine gas cylinders, 300kg of rice and two four-wheel-drive vehicles worth RM182,475.
A major simultaneous operation across 18 Sarawak locations on November 7 resulted in 18 arrests.
Those detained included 16 men and two women aged between 22 and 74 suspected of storing and selling untaxed goods.
This operation yielded 28 cartons of firecrackers, 3,374 cartons of cigarettes, 10,716.36 litres of liquor and three vehicles valued at RM1,860,492.80.
All suspects are being investigated under relevant customs and excise legislation. – Bernama
