Latest news with #OpTaring
New Straits Times
20-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Police raid hidden palm oil depot in Lahad Datu, arrest four
KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities seized an estimated 30,148 tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) worth RM152,090 during a raid on a concealed storehouse located in a palm oil plantation in Lahad Datu, Sabah. The total value of all items seized in the operation amounted to RM645,890. The raid, conducted under Op Taring, was led by the Internal Security and Public Order Department at 7pm on July 15. Department director Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim said the integrated operation involved the Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Intelligence Investigation Unit of Bukit Aman, the Lahad Datu district police and enforcement officers from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). Four men aged between 20 and 31 were arrested during the raid. Authorities also confiscated a truck head and tanker containing 30,000 litres of CPO; a van; three motorised oil pumps with hoses; an IBC tank containing 200 litres of CPO; a plastic tank with a capacity of 1,400 litres, filled with CPO and a 200-litre drum containing approximately 20 litres of CPO. "The total weight of the seized CPO is estimated at 30,148 tonnes, valued at RM152,090. The overall estimated value of all seized items during the operation is RM645,890," Azmi said in a statement released tonight. The case is being investigated by MPOB under Regulation 5(1)(b) of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Licensing) Regulations 2005, which carries a maximum fine of RM200,000, a prison sentence of up to three years, or both, upon conviction. Azmi added that the police also issued five summonses (POL 257) against the owners and drivers of vehicles inspected during the raid for various offences, including expired motor vehicle licences; a lack of insurance coverage and riving without a valid licence "This operation aims to curb illegal activities involving crude palm oil that violate MPOB regulations. If left unchecked, such activities can pose threats to food security and the environment. "Furthermore, the misappropriation of CPO impacts tax revenues and undermines the palm oil industry, which is a key contributor to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP)," he said.
New Straits Times
16-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Kelantan a transit point for ganja buds
KOTA BARU: Kelantan has become a transit point for ganja buds which are now in high demand due to its more potent psychoactive effects compared to regular cannabis. Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the drug is believed to be smuggled in from a neighbouring country through the Malaysia-Thailand border before being transported to other states or abroad. "Ganja buds are not a new drug but it is beginning to receive high demand due to its stronger intoxicating effects. "Although traffickers have not entirely shifted to this drug, its market presence is clearly increasing," he said. He added that enforcement authorities have stepped up border surveillance, especially at known smuggling routes in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas and Tumpat to prevent such substances from entering the local drug market. Mohd Yusoff said ongoing operations under Op Taring and close cooperation with the General Operations Force and Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department are key to curbing cross-border drug trafficking. "We are committed to intercepting the drugs and dismantling distribution networks. "Public cooperation is vital. We urge anyone with information to come forward," he said. Mohd Yusoff said investigations are ongoing to trace the syndicates involved and identify their local collaborators. According to police intelligence, the current market price of the ganja buds has reached RM35,000 per kilogram, making it a lucrative option for traffickers despite the heightened risk.
Borneo Post
22-05-2025
- Borneo Post
GOF Sarawak seizes RM6.82 mln in contraband, wildlife during ops in Sibu, Bau
A handout photo shows a GOF personnel inspecting a caged wildlife seized during the raid in Sibu. KUCHING (May 22): The General Operations Force (GOF) Sarawak Brigade has successfully crippled three criminal activities in recent operations under Op Taring Alpha/Charlie and Op Bersepadu Khazanah, with total seizures valued at around RM6.82 million. Sarawak GOF Brigade deputy commander, ACP Rosdi Inai, said the first operation, conducted on May 21 at a residence in Sibu, led to the arrest of a 44-year-old local man and the confiscation of various contraband items and weapons including imitation firearms. 'The seized items included 7,600 cartons of white cigarettes, 6,788 cartons of kretek cigarettes, 435 boxes of firecrackers, two imitation firearms, nine dangerous weapons and a four-wheel drive vehicle with an estimated value of RM6,297,990,' he said in a statement today. The case is being investigated under multiple laws, including the Customs Act 1967 and the Arms Act 1960. In a second operation on May 19, GOF personnel raided a premises in Bau believed to be used for the illegal storage of 15,000kg of rattan. 'On May 19, a team from the GOF Sarawak Brigade Headquarters raided a premises in Bau suspected of being used to store rattan without a permit. 'Eleven men, including three foreigners, were arrested, and 15,000kg of rattan along with two lorries were seized. The total seizure is estimated at RM490,000,' he said. A handout photo shows illegal rattan seized during one of the raids. The case is currently under investigation by the Bau District Police Headquarters (IPD) and the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998 and the Immigration Act. The third operation, also conducted on May 19 in Sibu, targeted illegal wildlife possession. 'In that operation, a 49-year-old local man was arrested for possessing 35 wild animals, 84kg of coral, and captive equipment without a permit. 'The seizure is estimated at RM34,730 and the case has been handed over to SFC Sibu and is being investigated under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998,' said Rosdi. He also revealed that from January 1 to May 22, Op Taring operations have resulted in seizures worth RM243 million across 188 cases, leading to 297 arrests and the confiscation of 178 vehicles. 'This operation demonstrates GOF's ongoing commitment to combat smuggling and crimes related to the country's natural resources,' he said. contraband GOF illegal Op Taring
