SIBU, April 7: The 10th Battalion General Operation Force (GOF) detained a man and seized 357 boxes of firecrackers and fireworks worth RM150,000 yesterday.
In revealing this at a press conference today, its commanding officer, Supt Mohammad Hafiz Kadir said the arrest was made during a raid codenamed ‘Op Kontraband’ by an enforcement team at about 11.45am on Wednesday at a premises at Jalan Ding Lik Kong.
“The total number of firecrackers and fireworks were contained in 357 boxes, with an estimated market value of RM150,500. A man who was at the premises was detained for investigation by the police,” he said.
The seizure of the fireworks were made under Section 8 of the Explosive Act 1957 which carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years or RM10,000 fine or both if convicted.
Kadir said those involved had used this town as the distribution centre for the contraband to places nearby.
“The items were sent to this town from Bintulu by a cargo vessel and also a vehicle. They were then kept at the premises at Jalan Ding Lik Kong for two weeks before the suspect was caught and the items seized from him,” he said.
Kadir also urged the public to provide them with information on smuggling activities by calling its hotline at 084-211411.
Touching on its enforcement activities from January to April this year, he said the GOF had carried out 10 successful operations that resulted in the arrests of 13 people.
Contraband such as illicit cigarettes and beer, timber logs and subsidised diesel worth RM3.3 million were confiscated. — DayakDaily
