A series of arrest and raids by Sarawak PGA in various towns.
KUCHING: The Sarawak General Operations Force (GOF) Brigade has intensified its clampdown on illegal activities across the state, recording ten successful operations between August 4 and 16 with seizures worth RM4.85 million.
Brigade commander SAC Lim Bak Phai said the operations, conducted under Op Taring Bravo, Op Taring Libas and Op Taring Awas/Batas, were carried out in Sibu, Bintulu, Tebedu, Biawak, Serian, Bau and Sri Aman, reflecting the wide scope of enforcement action.
In Sibu, GOF personnel foiled an illegal logging attempt, arresting a 42-year-old Indonesian man and seizing 100 logs, machinery and an excavator valued at RM1.6 million. The same district also saw a separate diesel smuggling case involving 46,000 litres of fuel and several vehicles, worth RM1.26 million.
A series of arrest and raids by Sarawak PGA in various towns.
In Bintulu, a trawler was intercepted at Sungai Kemena with 5,000 litres of diesel and related equipment, estimated at RM512,000.
Border districts recorded multiple smuggling attempts. In Tebedu, police stopped vehicles carrying 202 boxes of frozen food valued at RM371,600, while a separate case in the same area saw 50 more boxes confiscated from a 55-year-old man.
Lim added that in Biawak, two Indonesians were caught transporting 1,416 sacks of onions worth RM322,300. In Serian, frozen chicken parts valued at RM223,320 were uncovered in a storage premise operated by a 41-year-old local woman while in Bau, a lorry carrying 3,500 kilograms of rice without valid permits was stopped, with the goods valued at RM183,000.
Meanwhile, in Sri Aman, police intercepted a vehicle carrying 30 gas cylinders of various brands worth RM135,400.
“These operations send a clear message that the PGA remains vigilant in curbing illegal logging, cross-border smuggling and the abuse of controlled goods,” Lim said.
He added that from January 1 to August 17, the Sarawak GOF Brigade had recorded seizures amounting to RM306.6 million involving 316 cases, with 415 suspects arrested and 238 vehicles confiscated.
“We will continue to work closely with the Forest Department, Domestic Trade Ministry, Veterinary Department and other agencies to safeguard Sarawak’s borders, protect its natural resources and ensure public security,” Lim assured.
By Connie Chieng