SANDAKAN: The marine police here recovered 3,300 turtle eggs worth RM 6,600 from two abandoned pump boats in the mangrove swamp at Sungai Batu Putih here, this morning.
State Marine Police commander Assistant Commissioner Mohd Yazib Abdul Aziz said a marine police boat on patrol spotted two boats from the direction of the sea heading towards the river at 4.30am.
The two pump boats raced off but ended up in shallow waters of the mangrove swamp as the boatmen attempted to flee.
The two boatmen escaped into the mangrove swamp, Mohd Yazib said.
“Our marine police team checked the abandoned pump boats and found seven sacks of turtle eggs believed to have been smuggled into Sandakan from neighbouring Philippines.
“The turtle eggs and pump boats were taken back to the marine police base and would be referred to the Wildlife Department for further action under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997,” he added.
On a separate case, the marine police also seized 200 packets of flour from a speed boat stranded in shallow waters at Pulau Berhala here earlier today.
The marine police patrol boat was pursuing the speed boat heading towards open sea from waters off Kampung Forest, when it hit shallow waters and the boatman then jumped off to escape.
“We believed the suspect was trying to smuggle the flour to the Philippines,” Mohd Yazib said.
Total value of seizure was RM 22,500 including the flour (RM 500), outboard engine (RM 18,000) and boat (RM 4,000).