KOTA KINABALU: A frozen chicken smuggling syndicate has been found misusing a Sabah-owned brand to evade detection by the authorities.
Sabah General Operations Force (GOF) commander Senior Asst Comm Datuk Abdul Rani Alias (pic) said the state-owned DESA Group had no involvement in the illegal operation, but the syndicate had stacked boxes with its brand to hide contraband frozen chicken.
"The Sabah GOF Brigade wishes to clarify an arrest and seizure on March 22, when officers inspected a lorry suspected of transporting imported frozen chicken.
"During the inspection, the driver and attendant failed to present valid ownership documents for the goods in the vehicle," he said in a statement on Thursday (March 27).
The seized items have been confiscated for further investigation under the Sabah Animals Enactment 2015.
"All arrests and seizures have been handed over to the Veterinary Services Department for further action," SAC Rani added.
He said the syndicate stacked DESA products in the lorry's cold storage compartment to hide the contraband further inside.
"Our investigations confirmed that DESA is not involved in any illegal activity. This seizure was based on intelligence and carried out according to procedure.
"This action is necessary to protect public health and safety while enforcing food handling laws," he said.
He said images of the contraband circulating on social media had caused confusion over the DESA Group.
"We stress that the seizure was unrelated to DESA products, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate," he said.
"We (police) are dedicated to working with all parties to ensure that food products on the market comply with safety and quality standards," he added.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the group stressed that as a government-linked company, it operates its own farms and processing facilities.
"These facilities are accredited by (the authorities) and have halal certifications. Most importantly, DESA Group does not handle imported poultry," the statement read.
The company noted that while some parties had corrected their social media postings, the initial misinformation caused confusion and concern among customers.
"We deeply regret any unease this may have caused. DESA Group remains steadfast in upholding the highest standards of food safety and quality.
"We are committed to serving the community with fresh, hygienic, and halal-certified products," the statement added.
