Malaysia: Land officers under probe over sand theft and smuggling into Singapore

Elan Perumal and Stuart Michael The Star 1 Jun 12;

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating several Pekan district land officers in relation to alleged sand smuggling from Sungai Pahang near Tanjung Agas Oil and Gas Logistic Park into Singapore.

It is learnt that MACC officers have taken from a company shipping dockets, bank-in slips and other documents related to the movement of vessels from the river to the South China Sea.

According to an MACC source, the commission has also obtained evidence of money transactions between private parties and the land officers.

He said the investigation into the smuggling started several months ago following a tip-off from the public.

“We have scrutinised the movement of vessels in Sungai Pahang right up till the sea and opened up a file on the alleged sand theft three months ago.

“The private company was found to have falsified dockets on movement of barges and other vessels to escape the authorities,” he said.

The source also said that the documents gave the impression that the barges were dumping waste material 30 nautical miles off the coast when they were actually transporting sand to Singapore.

“We believe that the culprits have been smuggling sand worth millions of ringgit into Singapore for over a year,” the source added.

Yesterday, The Star reported that a private company, engaged by the operator of the Tanjung Agas Gas and Oil Logistic Park in Pahang, was being investigated for smuggling sand into Singapore.

The company was contracted to carry out sand reclamation and dredging work in and along Sungai Pahang to complete the infrastructural development of the park, which has a planned area of 1,710ha.

It was also reported that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency had arrested more than 10 foreigners in a recent raid and seized a dredger, six barges and two tugboats.