Policemen inspect the 4WD filled with LPG tanks.
KUCHING: A General Operations Force (GOF) team foiled an attempt to smuggle out 31 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks during ‘Op Benteng Covid-19’ covering the Malaysia-Indonesia border in Lundu near here last Sunday.
GOF Sarawak commander SAC Mancha Ata said his men also arrested a local man and seized his four-wheel drive vehicle (4WD), which was transporting the tanks along an oil palm plantation road at Kampung Raso 2.
“The man was stopped as he was behaving rather suspiciously.
“Inspection by the GOF patrol team revealed that the man did not have any valid permit to transport the LPG tanks, and that he was using a road not gazetted for such transportation.
“We highly suspect that he was planning to smuggle out the tanks to the neighbouring country,” said Mancha in a statement yesterday.
The local man is now being detained.
“The confiscation of the goods, estimated to be worth RM36,200, was made under the Control of Supplies Act 1961. They were later handed over to Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) office for further actions,” added Mancha.
On Op Benteng Covid-19, he said between Jan 1 and 24 this year, the items seized by GOF Sarawak from the series of operations were estimated to be worth RM392,234.60.
“During this period, 12 cases were recorded involving 43 arrests.
“Those arrested comprised 10 local men, and 33 foreigners – 25 men and eight women.
“The foreigners were later ordered to return to their own country,” said Mancha.