Limbang marine police seize two vehicles, contraband ciggies

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A policeman watches over the suspects, whose car had earlier plunged into the ditch at Kampung Ipai in Limbang.

MIRI: A Marine Police team snapped a smuggling operation and seized about RM300,000 worth of contraband cigarettes and two vehicles during a routine patrol in Limbang on Monday.

The patrollers stopped a vehicle, with two men inside, at Kampung Ipai, while another vehicle sped off, during the operation.

According to Sarawak Marine Police Region 5 commander ACP Shamsol Kassin, an officer and four rank-and-file personnel encountered two vehicles during their 8pm patrol.

In their haste to flee, one of the vehicles swerved out of control and plunged into the roadside ditch, while the other sped off.

None of the seized packets of cigarettes bear any paid-duties stamp mark.

The patrollers arrested the  21-year-old driver and the passenger, aged 37, at the scene.

“Upon inspection on the vehicle, we found several boxes of cigarettes suspected to be without paid duties,” he said.

The vehicle was later towed out of the ditch and detained at the Marine Police tactical base for further action.

Meanwhile at 8.30pm, the police patrol came across another vehicle abandoned by the road at Kampung Ipai. Upon checking, several boxes of cigarettes, with no paid-duties stamp mark, were found inside.

The value of the seizure of these two vehicles and the contraband cigarettes is about RM300,000.

The case is investigated under the Customs Act 1967.