Military radar equipment detained by customs goes missing

The high-tech equipment, worth millions, had been detained as it did not have the necessary permit required for shipping of sensitive items.

PETALING JAYA: The authorities have started a probe into a consignment of sensitive high-tech military radar equipment worth millions of ringgit missing from the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor.

The radar equipment had been detained by customs officials shortly after the consignment arrived last month from Australia, enroute to the Netherlands, as it did not have the necessary permit.

The Star quoted Nusajaya OCPD Asst Comm Nor Hashim Mohamad as confirming that a police report had been made.

The report also quoted Customs Depart­ment assistant director-general (enforcement) Paddy Abd Halim as saying an internal investigation had started into how the equipment, not easy to move, could go missing.

The equipment was in a container.

All military equipment being shipped out of, or in transit at any Malaysian port, requires a special permit from the ministry of international trade and industry (Miti), according to the report.

No such permit or other supporting documents were produced when requested by port and customs officials.

The Star reported that the authorities were also looking at the possibility that the consignment could have been loaded onto another vessel and shipped off to the Netherlands discreetly to avoid further problems.

The report quoted sources as saying such sensitive equipment required a permit under the Strategic Trade Act 2010 from Miti.

The Act is aimed at preventing sensitive items from falling into the hands of extremists, who may use these for nuclear armament and weapons of mass destruction.

Fines for breaching the law can be as high as RM10 million and those convicted can face even the death penalty. -FMT