JAKARTA: The quick reaction team of the Tanjung Balai Karimun Naval Base has foiled an attempt of smuggling in goods shipped from neighboring Malaysia aboard MV Citra Indah.
MV Citra Indah is one of the vessels which have become the target of the quick reaction teams operations, Commander of the Naval Base IV Commodore S Irawan said on Wednesday.
The 105-gross tonnage vessel carried a variety of second hand goods, 13.800 tons of onion, 3,000 boxes of fish, 50 sacks of cement and 300 boxes of drinks, he said.
“There are still many other items. The goods are being unloaded from the vessel and officers from the Tanjung Balai Karimun Naval Base, customs office, the office of the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry, and the water police of the Riau Islands Province are calculating them,” he said.
Security officers have escorted the vessel to the Karimun pier, he said. “The vessel arrived at the Tanjung Balai Karimun pier,” he said. Irawan said the quick reaction team has several times arrested people on charge of smuggling in goods from various countries.
