TAWAU, Aug 19 — The Tawau Marine Police Force thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2,550 packets of cooking oil to Indonesia with the arrest of a man in waters off Tanjung Batu near here yesterday.

Its commanding officer, DSP Mohd Nazri Ibrahim said the 29-year-old suspect was detained while he was in a boat from Tanjung Batu heading towards Pulau Sebatik at about 6pm.

The boat was carrying 150 boxes containing the packets of cooking oil, worth RM51,650, he said in a statement today. — Bernama