Johor Cops Seize Firecrackers, Fireworks Worth Rm854,000

JOHOR BAHRU, May 7 (Bernama) --  Police seized a total of 427 boxes of various types of fireworks and firecrackers, worth RM854,000 and believed to have been smuggled, in a raid on a warehouse in the Taman Scientex Senai industrial area in Kulai on Sunday.

Johor police chief CP M. Kumar said the raid at 5.30 pm, via Op Taring Landai, was conducted by the Region Two Marine Police Force (PPM).

He said the result of an inspection found that the warehouse was being used as a store for various types of unlicensed firecrackers and fireworks.

"The success of the seizure in the warehouse, which is inside a gated and guarded area, was the result of a week’s surveillance by the Marine Intelligence Unit (URM), and the seized items are believed to be sold for the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration," he said at a press conference at the Region Two PPM headquarters here today.

"We found that this warehouse also stores various other items as a front to cover up the (actual) activities of the syndicate."

According to Kumar, a 47-year-old man was detained to assist in the investigation and the case is being investigated in accordance with Section 8 of the Explosives Act 1957.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Kumar said the URM of the Region Two PPM also confiscated 3,000 litres of subsidised diesel, worth RM6,540, as a result of an inspection on a lorry at a petrol station in Tampoi here at midnight yesterday.

He said a syndicate used a three-tonne lorry, with the cargo section concealed to evade detection by the authorities.

"The results of the inspection found five modified tanks concealed in the back of the lorry," he said.

He added that a 57-year-old lorry driver was also detained to assist in the investigation and the case is being investigated in accordance with Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and Section 12(5) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

-- BERNAMA