The Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers pose with the seized items.
MIRI (May 10): Malaysian and Indonesian soldiers on a joint patrol seized RM4,182 worth of contraband goods and controlled items near a border village in Ba Kelalan on Wednesday.
Ninth Infantry Brigade commander Brig Gen Ahmad Norzaini Badrun commended the soldiers from the Malaysian Armed Forces and Indonesian National Armed Forces for the success of the coordinated patrols in stopping smuggling attempts in the highlands.
In a statement from the First Infantry Division, Ahmad also said the joint-operations would continue to curb smuggling in both neighbouring countries.
The statement said the soldiers identified an illegal route near Kampung Kunang Kelalan, about 900 metres from the border at 12pm.
“Patrolling members heard the sound of two vehicles and saw two suspicious civilians fleeing from the scene upon spotting the approaching patrol team,” said the statement.
The soldiers found an abandoned hut nearby where 60 packets of 1kg wheat flour, 30 packets of 1kg cooking oil, 24 bottles of liquor, and nine cans of beer as well as stout were stored.
It is believed that the items were intended to be smuggled out to Indonesia.
A report was later lodged at the Ba Kelalan police station in Buduk Nur and the goods seized for further action.
The joint military post in Ba Kelalan regularly conducts patrols along the border of North Kalimantan and Sarawak to prevent cross-border crimes.