By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 25: Sarawak General Operations Force (GOF) Brigade has recorded five major successes in a series of Op Taring Alpha and Op Taring Awas/Batas operations carried out between Aug 19 and 23, seizing contraband worth RM5.9 million and arresting 12 individuals.
According to a TVS news report, Brigade Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Lim Bak Phai revealed that the first breakthrough on Aug 19 involved the arrest of a 30-year-old local man during a raid at a house in Kuching, which led to the seizure of 12,900 cartons of various cigarette brands worth RM4.64 million.
“The suspect and seized items were handed over to Kuching District Police Headquarters for further action and investigation under Section 135(1)(D) of the Customs Act 1967,” he said in a statement yesterday (Aug 24).
On Aug 21, raids on three premises around Kuching led to the arrest of five locals, along with the seizure of 1,746 cartons of white cigarettes, 154 cartons of kretek cigarettes, and 6,183 litres of liquor valued at over RM1 million.
In a separate operation in Lundu on Aug 20, a 29-year-old man was arrested after being caught smuggling 1,500 kilograms of rice using a four-wheel drive vehicle, with the seizure valued at RM122,000.
Meanwhile, on Aug 23 in Sri Aman, a GOF team arrested two individuals with 150 kilograms of subsidised fertiliser and a four-wheel drive vehicle, with the total seizure worth RM121,380.
On the same day in Serian, four Indonesian men aged between 36 and 45 were detained for failing to produce valid travel documents. Police also seized three motorcycles, including one reported stolen, and five mobile phones, valued at RM14,500.
Overall, from Jan 1 to Aug 25 this year, Sarawak GOF Brigade has recorded 326 cases, arrested 428 individuals consisting of 319 locals and 109 foreigners, and seized 243 vehicles with a total value of RM312.5 million. — DayakDaily
