KUCHING, Nov 15: First Infantry Division foiled a smuggling attempt of essential goods worth a total of RM492,771 with the arrest of three Indonesian men together with one local man and a teenage girl, during Op Benteng in Lubok Antu, yesterday.
According to the First Infantry Division, in a press statement today, the arrest was made at about 7.50 pm, in a location known to the locals as “Pondok John”, about 400 metres from the Malaysia-Indonesia border.
The statement said that First Infantry Division personnel, who were in a Serkap (Attack and Capture) position to monitor the location, saw a civilian riding a motorcycle acting in a suspicious manner, as if to ensure that the area is safe from military surveillance.
“The motorcyclist was later seen escorting two four-wheel-drive vehicles from Malaysia heading towards the Indonesian border. Upon realising the situation, the First Infantry Division members stopped the two vehicles, while the motorcyclist managed to flee.
“After an inspection, the three Indonesian men, together with a local man and teenage girl were found to have been carrying 15 packs of Agarwood worth RM400,000, together with 573 bottles of liquor, 14 cooking gas barrels, five units of mobile phone, 96 crates of eggs, 143 packs of Milo powder, an undisclosed amount of cash of both Malaysian and Indonesian currency and woodworking equipment, which were believed about to be smuggled into Indonesia using illegal routes,” it said.
The statement added, the two four-wheel-drive vehicles were also seized and all the items, together with the five individuals, were brought to Lubok Antu District police headquarters for further investigation.
On the same day, the First Infantry Division earlier arrested five Indonesian men who are believed to be illegal immigrants, at an unoccupied house near Taman Selera Puspa Indah, in Tebedu, at 5.15 pm.
“The five men were seen to be waiting for someone to pick them up, and after an interrogation, it was found that all five of them were working in Bintulu, and wanted to return to Indonesia using “lorong tikus” through the Malaysia-Indonesia border,”
“All of them were brought to Tebedu police station for further action,” the statement read. –DayakDaily.
