PGA series of raids throughout Sarawak.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Brigade of the General Operations Force (PGA) has successfully carried out a series of high-impact enforcement operations under Ops Taring Alpha, Ops Taring Bravo, Ops Libas, and Ops Taring Awas/Batas, leading to a total of ten cases with seizures worth RM3.6 million.
PGA Sarawak Brigade Commander SAC Dr Haji Che Ghazali bin Che Awang said the most significant busts was a raid in Sibu on 21 July, where police uncovered 783,040 sticks of untaxed cigarettes and over 225 litres of illegal liquor stored inside a house.
A 43-year-old local man was arrested, and a vehicle was seized with estimated value of the items valued RM1.4 million.
In a separate case on August 1, four local men aged between 24 and 54 were detained with seized goods worth RM1.1 million. The four lorry drivers suspected of transporting controlled goods without valid permits were intercepted in Bau. Inside, enforcement officers discovered 35,000 kilograms of onions and 1,400 kilograms of garlic.
Ghazali said these achievements reflect the force’s continuous commitment to safeguarding the nation’s borders and cracking down on smuggling and illegal trade activities.
“These operations are the result of focused intelligence and collaboration with various enforcement agencies. Our personnel remain alert to any activity that threatens national economic security and public safety,” he said.
In Lundu on 24, he said, police seized 10,000 kilograms of imported sugar smuggled using unregulated roads where two local suspects aged 38 and 47 were arrested, and the estimated value of the seizure was RM350,000.
In another operation in Sematan on July 31, 15,432 litres of subsidised diesel were found hidden in a modified tank inside a lorry. Two local men and one foreigner aged between 35 and 39 were arrested. The estimated value of the diesel and seized equipment was over RM291,000.
Other successful operations included the seizure of 380 boxes of frozen food transported illegally in Lundu on July 28, valued at RM222,960, and the arrest of a 67-year-old man in Sri Aman who was caught transporting various controlled goods including rice, sugar, and cooking oil using an ungazetted route. The seizure was worth RM121,795.
Ghazali added that in Debak on July 31, a 64-year-old man was detained for transporting 480 litres of petrol, 100 litres of diesel, and several jerry cans of fuel without valid permits. The items and vehicle were valued at RM111,815.
Under Ops Libas on July 21, patrol officers near Kuching International Airport came across an abandoned vehicle containing 174 grams of suspected ecstasy powder and two pills. The car was seized, and the case was handed over to the district police headquarters for further action.
Meanwhile in Serian on July 29, a 36-year-old local man was arrested after officers discovered used packets containing suspected methamphetamine inside a suspicious vehicle. The suspect was also found using a fake registration number and seized from him were a Proton Wira and RM199 in cash.
A lost motorcycle believed to be stolen was recovered during a patrol along a non-gazetted route near the Malaysia-Indonesia border in Bau on July 23. The motorcycle was found abandoned in a bush, and the case was referred to the Kota Samarahan police for investigation.
Ghazali also revealed that from 1 January to 4 August 2025, a total of 301 cases have been recorded under the Sarawak PGA Brigade involving 398 arrests comprising 300 locals and 98 foreigners.
A total of 225 vehicles were also seized during this period, with the total value of items seized amounting to RM301.8 million.
He assured that PGA will continue to intensify its enforcement efforts, especially in high-risk border areas, and called for continued cooperation from the public in curbing illegal activities.
By Connie Chieng