logo
Smuggling Seraya timber from Timbun Mata Forest Reserve foiled: Cops

Smuggling Seraya timber from Timbun Mata Forest Reserve foiled: Cops

Daily Express16-05-2025

Published on: Friday, May 16, 2025
Published on: Fri, May 16, 2025
By: Azmie Lim Text Size: The suspects and sawn timber seized by Marine Police. Photo at right shows the subsidised cooking oil seized from a boat in Kg Panji. SEMPORNA: Marine Police foiled an attempt by two men to make off with sawn timber believed stolen from Pulau Timbun Mata Forest Reserve, on Wednesday. Sabah Region Four Marine Commander, ACP Mohd Nazri Ibrahim, said while patrolling in the Tobo-Tobo waters, the team spotted a speed boat carrying the sawn timber, at about 1.30am
Advertisement 'Upon inspection, the team found that the boat was operated by a 41-year-old local man and a 42-year-old foreigner. 'All the seizures, including the boat and its engine, were estimated to be worth RM30,350,' he said, adding that the case would be investigated under the Forest Enactment 1968 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. In a separate raid, the Marine seized a total of 663kg of packets of subsidised cooking oil following an operation off Kampung Panji waters. The subsidised items were left inside a speed boat which was towed to a jetty. The items were believed to be smuggled out to a neighbouring country. He said all the seizures estimated worth RM62,014 and investigation would be carried out under the Control of Supply Act 1961. Marine Sabah remains committed to combating smuggling activities for national safety and well-being. In Lahad Datu, police arrested three men and seized substance suspected to be syabu worth RM8,063. The arrest and seizure were made following a raid on a hut at Kg Ubi, Jalan Kenangan conducted by the Narcotic Crime Investigation Division (JSJN) of Lahad Datu Police Headquarters. Acting District Police Chief, Supt Jimmy Panyau, said following the raid, the team seized 73.30 grammes of syabu as well as tools suspected of being used in the drug-related activities. 'Urine tests conducted on the suspects showed two of them tested positive for Methamphetamine and Amphetamine. 'All three suspects aged between 27 and 48 were detained for further investigations,' he said. Jimmy said they suspects also did not have any valid identification documents. The case is investigated under Section 39B and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Three weeks' jail each for married couple who smuggled dogs from Malaysia
Three weeks' jail each for married couple who smuggled dogs from Malaysia

The Star

time3 hours ago

  • The Star

Three weeks' jail each for married couple who smuggled dogs from Malaysia

Both dogs had umbilical hernia, while the dachshund had a bloated belly, patches of hair loss and dirty ears. - Photo: National Parks Board SINGAPORE: A married couple who smuggled a pomeranian and a dachshund across the Causeway for a quick buck have been jailed. Soon Boon Khong and Reina Wong Si Qi, both 28, stood to earn between S$900 and S$1,000 for each completed transaction, according to court documents. On Wednesday (June 4), they were each jailed for three weeks after pleading guilty to two charges under the Animals and Birds Act. Two similar charges were each taken into consideration. In court, District Judge Wong Li Tein said importing animals without proper licensing poses public health risks, which Singapore as a densely populated community cannot afford to take. Judge Wong added that there is public interest in the view that the couple should be jailed for their offences. Soon Boon Khong (left) and Reina Wong Si Qi stood to earn between S$900 and S$1,000 for each completed transaction, according to court documents. - Photos: ST The buyer of the dachshund, Tok Su Wen, 41, was fined $7,000 in December 2024 – the first time the National Parks Board (NParks) has prosecuted a purchaser for abetting animal smuggling. NParks prosecutor Lim Chong Hui told the court that in late 2022, Soon and Wong noticed a demand for pets sold at prices cheaper than those at pet shops in Singapore. They began advertising animals from various sources in Malaysia for sale on social media platforms and chat groups on messaging application Telegram. Initially, the couple only introduced potential buyers to sellers in Malaysia, earning between $50 and $100 for acting as middlemen. After the sellers said they preferred to deal directly with the couple instead of the buyers, Soon and Wong started getting involved in the transportation of the animals. They were aware that importing animals from Malaysia without the requisite licence was illegal but chose to disregard the legal requirements due to the high fees involved. Before their arrest, the couple smuggled a pomeranian and poodle on Feb 1, 2023, without being detected. The dogs' current statuses are unknown. Tok had reached out to Soon and Wong in January 2023 after seeing an ad they had posted on dogs for sale on Telegram. She was informed that the importation of animals would be done illegally, but she decided to go ahead. On Feb 2, 2023, Soon and Wong collected two dogs from a pet shop in Johor Baru. Soon had got the pomeranian as a gift for Wong while the dachshund was to be delivered to Tok's home. The offence came to light when the couple's vehicle was stopped for an inspection at the Woodlands Checkpoint around 6pm that day. Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority found both dogs at the foot area of the front passenger seat. Wong had placed her handbag in front to obscure them from view. Both dogs had umbilical hernia while the dachshund had a bloated belly, patches of hair loss and dirty ears. But they were otherwise alert and hydrated. The couple's lawyer Tan Cheng Kiong argued for a fine instead of jail, noting that the dogs they had brought in were not mistreated or suffering from any canine diseases. Tan also said his clients were first-time offenders. 'They are still relatively young, and I think this is going to be a lesson for them that they will certainly learn from,' he said. In response, Lim said it was purely fortuitous that the dogs had no diseases, and it was not because the couple had taken measures to ensure it. In an earlier statement, NParks said the smuggling and illegal trade of pets pose a threat to public health and also compromise animal welfare. NParks strongly encourages prospective owners to adopt their pets from animal welfare groups or to purchase them from licensed shops. The agency also warned that buyers who abet the illicit importation of their pets into Singapore may also end up facing prosecution. Under the Animals and Birds Act, offenders caught importing any animal or bird without a licence can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN

Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business
Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business

The Star

time7 hours ago

  • The Star

Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has busted a homestay racket run by foreigners in a special operation carried out around Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Sultan Ismail here. Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said in the operation, which began at 2.57pm on Tuesday, 13 illegal immigrants aged from 24 to 40 were arrested. "Based on information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the operations team was organised to move to the location and arrested nine men and one woman from Bangladesh, one Indonesian man, as well as one woman each from India and the Philippines," he said in a statement on Thursday (June 5). Ismail stated that of the figure, three men and one woman from Bangladesh, the Indonesian man and the Indian woman, were suspected of committing offences under Regulation 39b of the Immigration Regulations 1963. The rest were detained on suspicion of committing offences under Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. All of them were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration headquarters for further action. Ismail stated that six local citizens and one Bangladeshi man were given notice to appear at the Immigration office to assist with investigations. "All the foreigners detained were managing the illegal homestay business in Malaysia by renting properties from local citizens. "Customers place their bookings online and these foreigners would manage the transactions. Rental charges range from RM80 to RM400 per night, depending on room size. This homestay racket is believed to have been operating for a year," he said. According to Ismail, the operations team also seized copies of tenancy agreements, four Bangladeshi passports, one Indonesian and one Indian passport each, 48 (room) access cards, a laptop, three mobile phones, homestay guest information forms and cash totalling RM74,000 and US$2,160. – Bernama

Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business
Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business

The Sun

time7 hours ago

  • The Sun

Immigration detains 13 foreigners running illegal homestay business

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department busted a homestay racket run by foreigners in a special operation carried out around Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Sultan Ismail here on Tuesday. Immigration deputy director-general (Management) Ismail Mokhtar said in the operation, which began at 2.57 pm, 13 illegal immigrants aged between 24 and 40 were arrested for acting as 'homestay agents.' 'Based on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the operations team was organised to move to the location and arrested nine men and one woman from Bangladesh, one Indonesian man, as well as one woman each from India and the Philippines,' he said in a statement today. Ismail stated that of the figure, three men and one woman from Bangladesh, the Indonesian man and the Indian woman, were suspected of committing offences under Regulation 39b of the Immigration Regulations 1963. The rest were detained on suspicion of committing offences under Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. All of them were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration headquarters for further action. Ismail stated that six local citizens and one Bangladeshi man were given notice to appear at the immigration office to assist with investigations. 'All the foreigners detained were managing the illegal homestay business in Malaysia by renting properties from local citizens. 'Customers place their bookings online, and these foreigners would manage the transactions. Rental charges range from RM80 to RM400 per night, depending on room size, and this homestay racket is believed to have been operating for a year,' he said. According to Ismail, the operations team also seized copies of tenancy agreements, four Bangladeshi passports, one Indonesian and one Indian passport each, 48 (room) access cards, a laptop, three mobile phones, homestay guest information forms and cash totalling RM74,000 and USD2,160.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store