Malaysians manipulate location of Pulau Sebatik in smuggling controlled items to Indonesia

TAWAU: The unique position of Pulau Sebatik has hampered Malaysian authorities' efforts to prevent the smuggling of controlled items including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders into Indonesia.
The director of the Tawau branch of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Maritime Capt Romli Mustafa said some irresponsible Malaysians on the island had been purchasing and stocking up items in small quantities before selling the goods to Indonesian traders on the same island at a higher price.
"When we (authorities) query, they would say that the items are for their own consumption. For instance, they purchase an LPG cylinder up to three times a day when one cylinder could last them up to a month," he said when met here.
Pulau Sebatik is unique as the northern part of the island belongs to Malaysia, while the southern half is Indonesia's.
Meanwhile, Romli said the smuggling activities were more controlled now after the establishment of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) in 2013. — Bernama