BAU: A married couple face the possibility of being sentenced to death under the Firearms Act 1971 after they were caught smuggling five air rifles and tens of thousands of pellets from across the border on Monday.
Mohd Sabri (third left) takes a closer look at one of the seized air rifles together with (from left) Hamizan, Lonie and Benedict.
They were intercepted shortly after crossing the border back here around noon, after a team from the district police headquarters received a tip-off that a shipment of illegal weapons was being smuggled into the state.
District police chief DSP Mohd Sabri Zainol said a thorough search was conducted on the couple’s old Toyota Corolla car during which five air rifles and a cache of over 48,000 pellets were found inside the rear seat, which had been modified to conceal the weapons.
“At the time of the arrest, the 50-something husband from Krokong and his 40-something Indonesian wife were travelling with their nine-year-old daughter, whom we have since handed over to a relative.
“The couple, however, are being investigated under Section 7 of the Firearms Act (Enhanced Penalties) 1971, which carries the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment and not fewer than six strokes of the cane if convicted,” Mohd Sabri told a press conference yesterday.
The OCPD further warned locals not to become arms smugglers by bringing in such weapons from across the border, as the police viewed the matter seriously and would come down hard on anyone found breaking the law.
“I implore the public not to view this issue lightly as these guns can easily fall into the hands of criminals and could lead to cases of shooting deaths,” he said, adding that two other air rifles and an air pistol were seized in Bau prior to Monday’s bust.
He also revealed that initial investigation indicated the suspect and his wife have previously smuggled similar weapons across the border, but that neither of them possessed any prior arrest record.
The guns, he said, were bought for less than RM200 apiece and were meant to be resold for profit to willing buyers here and in other districts.
During the press conference, the OCPD also chided several local dailies for literally ‘jumping the gun’ in reporting the seizure of the weapons.
“I’m not happy because no reporter contacted me to verify the information. If you publish the wrong information, it could jeopardise our investigation.
“There is no need to be so hasty. Wait for us to gather all the information and we will call for a press conference,” he added.
On the recent nationwide crackdown on cyber gambling outlets, Mohd Sabri announced that such outlets in Bau have ceased to operate following relentless raids conducted by his men throughout the year.
“We have been cracking down on these types of outlets all year, with over 60 raids conducted and countless computers seized.
“I also urge the public not to patronise such outlets because when there is no longer any demand, operators will not be bothered to open as there are no profits to be made.”
Among those present at the press conference were district CID chief ASP Benedict Faris Jimoy and investigating officers Inspector Lonie Butek and Inspector Hamizan Ibrahim.