PASIR PUTEH, June 18 — Kelantan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle 24 boxes of uncustomed white cigarettes worth an estimated RM212,000 in an operation around the Kelantan River estuary on June 13.
Its director, Maritime Captain Kamal Mohamad said the success stemmed from intelligence received on a suspicious speedboat operating in the Kelantan River estuary area at about 9 pm.
He said MMEA assets deployed under Op Naga 1/2024, Op Damai Series 33/2026, Op Pelantar Merah 3/2023 and Op Tiris 4.0 were mobilised to the location at 9.10 pm to conduct surveillance and search operations.
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“During inspections along the Kelantan River, the operation team detected a boat travelling without navigation lights under suspicious circumstances. However, the boat fled through a narrow route or ‘rat trail’ to avoid being detained,” he told a press conference here today.
Despite losing sight of the boat, he said the operation team continued combing the area and found a pile of brown boxes believed to contain uncustomed cigarettes on the bank of the Kelantan River near Kampung Penambang, Kota Bharu.
Following the discovery, the team inspected a nearby wooden jetty belonging to a villager and the surrounding area within a 20-metre radius of the riverbank.
Kamal said further inspections uncovered three multi-purpose vehicles abandoned at the location and believed to have been used to transport the smuggled cigarettes.
“Checks on the vehicles found 24 boxes of white cigarettes suspected to be uncustomed. The total value of the seizure is estimated at RM212,000,” he said.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 135(e) of the Customs Act 1967 for transporting or transferring dutiable goods, non-customs-cleared goods or prohibited items without authorisation.
To curb smuggling activities, he urged the public to channel information on suspicious activities in waters and coastal areas through the 999 emergency line or the Kelantan MMEA Headquarters Operations Centre at 09-778007.
— BERNAMA
