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KEMAMAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) today discovered RM3.32 million cash in Malaysian Ringgit and Singapore Dollar worth RM326,000, stashed in a boat, some 126 nautical miles, from Kuala Kemaman.
The cash found was believed to be proceeds from the sale of smuggled fuel.
The MMEA’s enforcement team made the find during their Ops Perkasa Timur and Ops Marikh operations.
MMEA KM Pekan Maritime Captain Robert Teh Geok Chuan said the agency’s vessel spotted the boat at the scene around 4.15pm.
He said the boat’s crew tried to avoid the enforcement vessels by speeding off from the scene after noticing it’s approach.
“We managed to stop them after a short chase and found seven crews aged between 22 and 62, including a ‘tekong’ from Thailand, onboard,” he told reporters today.
“They were found without valid travel documents while the ‘tekong’ also failed to produce valid permit for fishing activity in Malaysian waters,” he added.
Further check in the vessel saw them uncover the currencies stashed on one of the boat’s compartment.
He said the money was the biggest haul this year and believed to be proceeds from an illegal activity.
He said the crew and the boat were taken to the state Kemaman MMEA jetty here for further investigation.
The case is being investigated under the Anti Money Laundering Act, Anti Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and Merchant Ship Ordinance 1952
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