NBOS ops involving KPDNKK, Marine Police to fight unhealthy business activities

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Abdul Hafiz (front, fourth left) and Syahruddin (third right) join KPDNKK and Marine Police personnel in a group photo after their joint operation.

SIBU: The first integrated operation involving the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) and Marine Police under the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) in Sarawak was carried out here yesterday to combat unhealthy business activities.

The 20-member team comprised nine personnel from the ministry headed by KPDNKK Sarawak enforcement officer Abdul Hafiz Abdul Rahim, and 11 Marine Police personnel led by ASP Syahruddin Ramli. The operation ran from 8am to 10.30am.

Abdul Hafiz said previously, the agencies carried out separate operations, where the Marine Police would hand the case to KPDNKK to act upon.

However since March 20 this year, the two agencies had been conducting collaborative efforts under the NBOS – starting with Kelantan, he said.

“And in Sarawak, today (yesterday) is the first day of integrated operation between us (KPDNKK) and Marine Police using their assets. This marks the beginning for us to conduct joint operations (with Marine Police) in Sarawak waters. The joint operation will facilitate detention and detection of cases, if any, through the expertise of KPDNKK officers and the efficiency of Marine Police.

“Traders are warned against reaping excessive profits through unhealthy business activities, especially with regard to controlled items because the ministry and Marine Police are ready to come together under NBOS to conduct joint operations across Sarawak because we have combined to become a strong team under NBOS, where we will monitor areas from Kuching all the way to Lawas,” Abdul Hafiz told The Borneo Post yesterday.

On yesterday’s operation, he said the team conducted checks on three places – two had ministry-approved licences, while the other was not dealing with any controlled items.

“We inspected several premises as preventive measures so that goods, especially subsidised ones, are not channelled elsewhere.”

Abdul Hafiz pointed out that although this was the ministry’s first collaboration with Marine Police under NBOS, their cooperation had been established a long time ago.

He recalled that between 2010 and 2017, 24 cases across the state had been acted upon – thanks to KPDNKK’s good cooperation with Marine Police.

The value of seizure carried out by Marine Police and handed to the ministry was RM6,247,567, he said, adding that some cases had been charged in court, while others were compounded.

He said the bulk of the cases were related to diesel.

He added that during the joint inspection, the KPDNKK officials not only checked on compliance with Control of Supplies Act 1961, but also other Acts under the ministry.

On the premises inspected yesterday, they also checked on the sale of fuel from licensed premises to boats or lorry tankers, and also on compliance with the Weigh and Measure Act 1972.

Towards this end, Abdul Hafiz looked forward to stronger cooperation between the two agencies, adding that they would be sharing information to enhance their intelligence.