Police cripple syndicate using interzone travel permit to smuggle cigarettes 19 May 2021 / 22:41 H. Pix for representational purpose only.
KUCHING: Sarawak Marine Police Region 5 have crippled a smuggling syndicate that used interzone travel permit for transporting essential items, to smuggle contraband cigarettes.
Their activities were uncovered after a team detained a 10-tonne lorry, carrying 575 boxes of smuggled cigarettes of various brands, near Simpang Gedong, Jalan Serian-Sri Aman, about 69km from here, at 5.50am yesterday.
Sarawak Marine Police Region 5 commander ACP Shamsol Kassim said the cigarettes seized were estimated to be worth RM4.312 million.
“Although the 52-year-old lorry driver possessed a valid interzone travel permit to transport essential goods, he failed to provide any documents regarding the cigarettes.
MMEA Sarawak deputy director of operations Capt Yousry Yaali said details have emerged on the 31-year-old in terms of her and other divers’ activities in the area.
“How she dived, the equipment that she wore while diving like the wetsuit, the oxygen tank, and its type of material, the probability of the victim getting stuck or drifting or drowning, hopefully the victim will emerge.
“At the same time, we hope the weather conditions are good. Currently the wind is basically blowing from the west towards the island, about 270 to 315 knots, and we hope, even if the victim is drifting, will drift this way (Pulau Satang/Telaga Air), and we hope that the victim would not drift too far to the open sea, but to the land, that’s our hope,” he said during the SAR operation briefing at the Telaga Air Jetty near here this morning.