KOTA KINABALU: Police in Kota Kinabalu have arrested three men, aged between 19 and 33, after they were discovered with 2,000 liters of petrol on board a cargo boat in Kudat waters on Wednesday night (Sept 13) without proper permits. The estimated value of the vessel and seized goods is approximately RM232,000, according to Kudat zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne.
Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne stated in a press release on Thursday (Sept 14) that the patrol team received intelligence and located the cargo boat at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday approximately 2.7 nautical miles northeast of Kudat Marina. “Upon inspection, it was discovered that the skipper was a local resident while the two crewmen were Filipinos, with one of them lacking valid identification,” he said.
Further investigation revealed that the boat’s reserve tank contained 2,000 liters of petrol without the necessary legal permits from the authorities, Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne added. All suspects, along with the seized items, were brought to the maritime jetty and handed over to the investigating officer from the Kudat MMEA.
“The case is currently under investigation under two acts, namely the Control of Supplies Act 1961 for carrying subsidized articles with the intent to commit an offense, as well as the Immigration Act 1959/1963 for the crew member who failed to present a valid identity document,” he concluded.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
