The frozen chicken thighs.
KOTA KINABALU: General Operations Force (GOF) personnel seized a total of 2,700 boxes containing frozen chicken thighs illegally imported from the US during a sting operation in the Beluran district on Saturday (July 15).
An intelligence and risk task force from the Beluran GOF 20th Battalion intercepted two lorries transporting the chicken parts worth more than RM500,000 at Mile 4 off Jalan Telupid near Kampung Telupid at 3.35am.
They also detained three men who were transporting the items, including two lorry drivers.
Sabah GOF Brigade Commander Senior Asst Comm Abdul Rani Alias said the men, two of them aged 33 and the other 25, could not produce any permit to carry wet items.
"A further check saw them fail to furnish any licence to import animal products," he said, when contacted on Saturday.
"The halal logo on the boxes is also suspect because they had no halal certificates.
"We estimate the frozen chicken thighs are worth some RM540,000 while the lorries are about RM200,000, making the value of items seized about RM740,000," he said.
SAC Abdul Rani said the detainees and seized items had been brought to the Telupid police station to be processed for a police report.
"Thereafter, they were handed over to the Department of Veterinary Services and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) Sandakan office for the next course of action," he said.
The case was being investigated under the state’s Animal Welfare Enactment 2015, he added.
