The Sabah Marine Police Force (PPM) Region 4 has foiled an attempt to smuggle 5,000 litres of subsidised petrol to a neighbouring country following a raid near the riverbank of Kampung Mapan-Mapan here early today.
Three men aged between 36 and 39 were arrested at about 12.30am after they were allegedly caught transferring containers filled with subsidised petrol onto boats at the river mouth.
PPM Region 4 Sabah commander Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Amri Abd Rahman said officers seized 5,000 litres of subsidised petrol along with 38 drums during the operation.
Three wooden boats, including their engines and other equipment, were also confiscated. The total value of the seizure was estimated at more than RM100,000.
“The case is being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961,” he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Amri said the latest enforcement action reflected the department’s continued efforts to prevent subsidised fuel from being diverted and smuggled out of the country.
From January to August this year, PPM Region 4 Sabah recorded 100 cases investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, involving 92 arrests.
During the same period, the total value of seizures recorded by the force exceeded RM25.2 million, highlighting the scale of enforcement operations against offences involving controlled supplies in Sabah.
