GOF seizes RM6.33 mln contraband alcohol, ciggies in Kuching, Serian

Photo shows the contraband alcohol and cigarettes at the GOF Battalion 11 Kuching headquarters.
KUCHING (May 27): The General Operations Force (GOF) Sarawak Brigade seized contraband alcohol and cigarettes during three separate operations here and in Serian on May 22.
GOF Sarawak deputy commander ACP Rosdi Inai said the biggest haul was during Ops Taring Alpha conducted by GOF Battalion 11 Kuching at a premises believed to be a storage facility for contraband alcohol and cigarettes.
The raiding team seized contraband cigarettes, alcohol, and two vans, totalling RM4.02 million, he said.
'There were 4,881 cartons of cigarettes and 7,599.68 litres of alcohol found in the premises during the raid.
'Six local men and a foreigner, aged between 27 to 46, were also apprehended. Two vans were also confiscated,' he said in a statement today.
The seized items and suspects were handed over to the Kuching District police headquarters for further action and investigation under Section 135(1)(D) of the Customs Act 1967, Road Transport Act 1987, Regulation 25 (1)(N) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, and Section 15 (1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1963.
Rosdi said on the same day, operations were also conducted in two separate locations in Serian involving GOF Battalion 23 Sri Aman Intelligence Branch at 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
At the first premises, the raiding team seized contraband alcohol and cigarettes worth RM1.046 million as well as apprehended three men aged between 20 and 39.
At the second premises, he said the team seized contraband cigarettes and alcohol amounting to RM 1.25 million, and arrested another three men aged 18 to 22.
'Seized items and arrested suspects were handed over to Serian District police headquarters for further action and investigation under Section 135(1)(D) of Customs Act 1967, Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Local Authority Act 1961,' he said.
As of May 25, GOF Sarawak has recorded 198 cases under Op Taring with seizures totalling RM249.4 million, arrested 310 individuals (234 locals and 76 foreigners), and seized 180 vehicles. contraband GOF Sarawak lead Ops Taring Alpha Rosdi Inai

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Straits Times

5 hours ago

• New Straits Times

NST Leader: E-waste land

MALAYSIA doesn't want to be an e-waste garbage bin for the world, but it just can't help being one. Year after year, an estimated one thousand containers make it past our seaports. Some through our porous land and maritime borders. The Customs Department tells us that importers — or are they smugglers? — are bringing in the containers by falsely declaring them to contain anything but e-waste. Some containers don't make it through the inspection of the department, but many do. How many is anyone's guess. The hundreds of illegal e-waste factories throughout the country give a picture of the number of containers that made it undetected. Some are hidden in plantations; others operate openly, in plain sight, visible to the eyes of the authorities. The most recent raids from June 16 to June 19 by 12 agencies on 57 premises in a nationwide crackdown show how bad a crisis the illegal e-waste smuggling is. The police, which led the raids in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Inland Revenue Board, estimated the seizures and revenue loss to the government to be RM1.003 billion. The 57 raided premises were almost a national affair, with 16 in Selangor, 12 in Sabah, six each in Kedah and Sarawak, five each in Perak and Johor, four in Penang, two in Kelantan and one in Terengganu. The raids also yielded 453 arrests, with only 41 Malaysians being nabbed. The rest were from the usual suspects: China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and Nepal. From Jan 1 last year to June 19, the police arrested 1,061 people. This should frighten the nation into action before the crisis becomes a catastrophe. But the authorities appear to be facing, not insurmountable, but surmountable hurdles. One such revealed itself when the crackdown was launched. Although police intelligence revealed that more than 57 premises were operating illegally, many were found closed on the day of the raids. This, according to Federal Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim, raises concerns as to whether some operators may have been tipped off, the New Straits Times quoted him as saying. Enemies within aren't new threats for enforcement units. But which of the 12 agencies leaked it would be something for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to uncover. Punishment not matching the crime is another hurdle. Consider the Customs Act 1967. Anyone making false declarations can be fined up to RM500,000 or imprisoned for up to seven years, or both. A fine of RM500,000 is just a trifling sum for smugglers. Be that as it may, how many "importers" have been slapped with a RM500,000 fine or a seven-year imprisonment? As unheard of as hen's teeth. The Customs Department must do better by convincing the court to impose the maximum of punishment because illegal e-waste smuggling is a national crisis. While the government must provide the enforcers and regulators with the necessary resources to do a good job, they, too, have to go on an internal journey to weed out corrupt officers. Robust enforcement is not possible any other way. Absent this, containers of illegal e-waste will keep arriving on our shores, turning the crisis into a meltdown.

The Star

14 hours ago

• The Star

Accident claims life of 14-year-old pillion rider in Ulu Tiram

JOHOR BARU: A 14-year-old motorcycle pillion rider was killed in an accident with a lorry at Ulu Tiram here. Seri Alam OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said two 14-year-old students, one rider and one pillion rider, were travelling on the motorcycle along Batu 16, Jalan Sungai Tiram, Ulu Tiram when the accident occurred at around 10.44am on Friday (June 20). "The lorry was proceeding straight along the road, and the motorcycle was reported to have suddenly appeared on the left side. "The motorcyclist then lost control of the vehicle and fell to the left side of the road, while the pillion rider was thrown under the lorry and was run over," he said in a statement on Saturday (June 21). The victim died on the spot after suffering from fatal head injuries, he said. ACP Mohd Sohaimi added that the motorcyclist sustained leg injuries and was rushed to Hospital Sultan Ismail for medical treatment. He said the 35-year-old lorry driver was detained to assist in investigations under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. He also urged the public to obey traffic laws and exercise caution, especially during peak hours and nighttime driving, to prevent similar tragedies. Witnesses are urged to contact the police at 07-3864222 to assist with the investigation.

The Sun

15 hours ago

• The Sun

GOF foils attempt to smuggle 19,000 kg of white rice

KOTA BHARU: The General Operations Force (GOF) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 19,000 kilogrammes of white rice from Thailand along Jalan Kampung Air Gatal, Tanah Merah, as part of the 'Op Taring Wawasan' operations yesterday. GOF Southeast Brigade Commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the seizure was made after a GOF's 9th Battalion team spotted several men loading white sacks into the back of a trailer. 'However, all the suspects fled into nearby bushes upon realising the presence of the police,' he said in a statement today. He said an inspection of the trailer found 19,000 kilogrammes of white rice, believed to have been smuggled from Thailand and intended for sale on the local market. 'The seized rice, along with the trailer, is estimated to be worth RM426,000. The case has been handed over to the Kelantan Paddy and Rice Regulatory Authority for further action,' he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 20 of the Control of Paddy and Rice Act 1994. Meanwhile, Nik Ros Azhan said in a separate operation, his team also foiled an attempt to smuggle 11 cows after intercepting a lorry that was being driven suspiciously in Kampung Telaga Bata, Tumpat, last Thursday. 'An inspection found 11 cows in the back of the lorry, and the driver failed to produce any valid documentation for the livestock. The driver, a 28-year-old local man, was arrested,' he said. He added that the total value of the seizure, including the lorry, was estimated at RM151,000. The case has been handed over to the Kelantan Department of Veterinary Services for further action and is being investigated under Section 36(1) of the Animals Act 1953.