The confiscated turtle eggs.
MOF officers showing the confiscated contraband cigarettes.
SANDAKAN: The Marine Operations Force (MOF) here confiscated 243 packets of contraband cigarettes worth RM28,548 at the river area of Mile 3, Kampung Mangkalinau, yesterday.
Its Regional 4 commander, ACP Mohamad Bin Madun, said the seizure was made during the ‘Pensura Operation’ around 3.45am when a MOF patrol team saw several persons transferring black plastic bags from a boat onto a jetty.
When the MOF team went nearer, all the men fled. Upon inspection, they found 93 packets of Green Astro and 150 packets of Red Astro believed to have been smuggled into Sandakan from a neighboring country.
The case will be investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act. All the confiscated items were handed over to the Customs Department.
On the same day of the operation, the MOF confiscated 2,100 turtle eggs at the waters of Kampung Forest.
The MOF patrol team came across a speedboat and saw the skipper jump into the sea.
Found in the boat were six bags containing 2,100 turtle eggs.
All the confiscated turtle eggs, including the speedboat and its engine, were worth around RM13,000.
The turtle eggs will be referred to the Wildlife Department for further investigation.
The MOF welcomes information on crime activities in the sea, coastal or rivers in the district. Its phone numbers are 089-221423/221424/221453.