KOTA KINABALU: Two warehouses in Penampang near here were raided by Sabah police, resulting in the seizure of various types of illegal frozen food worth RM19.6mil. The operation, which took place on Saturday (Oct 21) at 10am, also involved the screening of 13 individuals on the premises, suspected to be workers. However, they were released as no criminal records were found.
Sabah deputy police chief, Deputy Comm Datuk Shahurinain Jais, stated that the raided warehouses were being used to store and pack the illegal food items before they were sold locally. The police action was prompted by a tip-off regarding the lack of proper documentation for the storage of animal products.
DCP Shahurinain reported to the media at the state police headquarters in Kepayan on Monday (Oct 23) that the seized items included various parts of chicken, duck, and goat, as well as beef, fish, and squid. Additionally, frozen nuggets, sausages, and fishballs of different brands were also confiscated. The sourced food items were from countries such as Brazil, Sweden, Australia, German, and Poland, lacking the necessary halal certification mandated by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
Furthermore, it was discovered that some of the meat products had exceeded their expiry dates but had not been disposed of properly. In addition, several boxes featured tampered halal logos. DCP Shahurinain revealed that both warehouses were operating without valid licenses since July.
As part of the operation, four lorries, eight forklifts, and a computer were also seized, increasing the total value of the confiscated items to RM20.46mil. The animal products were handed over to the state Veterinary Services Department for further investigation. The operation was a collaborative effort involving the Wildlife Crime Bureau, Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department, the General Operations Force, and Penampang CID, among others.
