KOTA KINABALU: A task force should be set up to investigate the recently uncovered major frozen food smuggling case in the state, says the Sabah West Coast Smart Consumers Association.
Its president David Chan said the case involving some RM33.6mil of frozen food seized this month, was serious.
“The government and the authorities cannot just take this matter lightly. A task force must be formed to find out who is behind the syndicate,” he said this during a media luncheon on Thursday (Jan 19).
Chan said with such a major confiscation of smuggled frozen food, there could be a possibility that people with “important” positions might be involved, one way or another.
“So we need the authorities to find out where the loopholes are and how this was allowed to happen for so long,” he said.
He said the issue of smuggled food affected not only revenue to the government, but also safety and health issues for consumers.
Chan said for those concerned about the halal status of the food, this was also a question to be answered.
“We don’t know how this food came in. Would they be vetted by the relevant authorities eventually? If not, then what is the guarantee that the food sold and eaten meets food safety requirements?” he asked.
He said when food is concerned, strict measures must be taken to ensure that it is processed and imported according to the health standards of the country.
Chan urged the authorities in charge of import and export, trading as well as food security to explain how this has been happening without anyone finding out until now.
According to local reports, police seized the frozen food in a series of raids at several warehouses this month.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Idris Abdullah said that they believe the syndicate involved has been running this illegal operation for over 10 years.
The items seized included frozen chicken, chicken parts, nuggets and fish.
A total of 34 people comprising 33 Indonesians and a local were nabbed in the raids around Kota Kinabalu and Papar between Jan 4 and Jan 16.
