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Gunrunners foiled: Comm Hamzah holding a M4 automatic rifle while other police officials display additional firearms that were seized in the operation. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Six guns, including a M4 Carbine CAL rifle, and a large cache of ammunition were seized from two boats off the coast of Penang, and police believed they have foiled an international arms smuggling syndicate.
Four men, two of them Indonesian nationals, were arrested after the boats were intercepted by marine police about one nautical mile southwest of Sungai Perai during a Chinese New Year special ops.
Police found two Sig Sauer pistols along with three magazines, two Glock pistols along with two magazines and a Smith & Wesson pistol with one magazine, said state police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad.
They also found the M4 5.56mm Nato carbine rifle, eight M4 magazines and 600 bullets. The M4 is a more compact version of the M16 assault rifle.
Other items that were seized were four boxes of 9mm bullets labelled “Bullet Master”, each containing 50 rounds, one round of S&B 9x19 21 ammunition, one holster unit, one magazine holster unit, one portable Garmin eTrex 10 GPS device in yellow and black, one Inmarsat satellite phone, four mobile phones of various brands, a sling bag, a brown wallet, a black package wrapped with yellow adhesive tapes and a white sack labelled “Rayong Sugar Co Ltd”.
“The four men are believed to be part of an international arms smuggling syndicate,” Comm Hamzah said.
“This is believed to be their first attempt to carry out such arms trade in the country.
“They are believed to have rented the two boats locally,” he said, adding that the firearms were smuggled into Malaysia for sale to potential buyers, for criminal activities or even acts of terrorism.
Comm Hamzah told a press conference at the Region 1 Marine Police Base in Batu Uban yesterday that the operation was held following intelligence on smuggling activities near Perai waters and the boat was stopped on Monday at about 3.10pm.
“Police also seized RM4,030, the two boats and two passports belonging to the two Indonesian suspects,” Comm Hamzah said.
The Indonesian suspects are believed to have entered the country with valid documents and attempted to bring the firearms from a neighbouring country.
He said the suspects, aged between 22 and 57, will be remanded until Feb 3.
The case is being investigated under Section 7(1) of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 (Act 37).