Filipino fuel smuggling bid foiled in Sabah

Malaysian security forces in Sabah have foiled a fuel smuggling bid when they stopped a cargo boat manned by Filipinos in waters off Sandakan’s east coast.

The boat carrying nine cooking gas cylinders and 17,300 liters of petrol was noticed by a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol at about 10 a.m. on Thursday.

MMEA District 17 enforcement chief Maritime Captain A. Razak Abdul Rahman said the agency’s craft, on routine patrol under Operation Pluto Timur, intercepted the vessel and inspected it.

“Our personnel discovered the cooking gas cylinders and 84 blue drums containing petrol in it,” he said, adding that there were no documents allowing for the transport of the items.

Razak said none of the vessel’s nine crew members, aged between 24 and 45, had travel documents.

He added that the boat and crew were taken back to Sandakan and detained for further investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and the Customs Act 1976.

Razak said MMEA would continue to step up operations and enforcement of maritime laws to ensure the security of Malaysian waters.

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