MIRI: A team from the Battalion 12 General Operation Force (GOF) on Friday seized a total of 15,000 litres of subsidised diesel and two fishing boats worth RM324,750 at Miri Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) jetty.
DSP Tan (centre) shows reporters a photo of the boat seized during the raid as ASP Zawi (right) and another GOF personnel Abdul Rahman look on.
The ambush was led by ASP Zawi Awang after about a week of intelligence. Second in command of the battalion, DSP Tan Hiap Seng in a press conference here yesterday said the diesel seized from two fishing boats were kept inside chiller boxes which had been modified.
“The GOF personnel found 4,000 litres of subsidised diesel in the first boat kept inside the modified chiller box and arrested a 33-year-old boat skipper.
The remaining 11,000 litres of subsidised diesel was seized from the second boat and was also found inside a modified chiller box. A 48-year-old boat skipper was arrested.
DSP Tan disclosed that the smuggling of subsidised diesel was the work of a syndicate using fishing boats to transport the goods as their modus operandi.
“The diesel bought from LKIM at RM1.65 per litre was supposed to be used by fishermen. However, once they are bought by this syndicate, it will be sold according to market price,” he added.
Both boat skippers arrested were Indonesians with valid working permit and passports.
DSP Tan said the case had been handed over to KPDNKK for further investigation.
“We will continue to carry out raids especially on smuggling of diesel and other goods,” he said.