TAWAU: A local woman has been detained after being found on board a boat allegedly used to smuggle contraband goods and ferry undocumented migrants from Indonesia.

The 37-year-old was the sole occupant of the outboard engine-powered boat when it was intercepted near a makeshift landing area along Jalan Apas, some 5km from Tawau, on Tuesday.

The joint operation, led by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), also resulted in the seizure of the boat, the outboard engine, various goods, and a lorry parked nearby — believed to have been waiting to collect cargo from the Indonesian side of Pulau Sebatik, which borders Malaysia.

Esscom Commander Datuk Victor Sanjos said the skipper and another passenger managed to escape by jumping into the water as the raiding team approached.

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"Checks on the goods — mostly food items — and the passenger, who is a Malaysian citizen, revealed that the cargo originated from across the border but was not accompanied by any documentation," he said.

"The seized items and the woman have been referred to the Customs Department for further investigation, including to determine whether she was complicit in the smuggling attempt alongside those who fled."

In a separate operation on Monday, Esscom detained three men during a raid at a petrol station along Jalan Apas. Items worth over RM300,000, including fuel and vehicles, were seized.

The suspects, aged between 31 and 37, were allegedly caught purchasing some 1,300 litres of diesel and transferring it into modified tanks and containers in three four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Victor said the suspects would be referred to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry for investigation under price control regulations.

He stressed that there would be no let-up in enforcement operations against smugglers and traffickers along the border, urging local communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.