The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has frozen the accounts of 1,623 companies and individuals in Sabah, totalling RM560 million.

Its Investigation Division director Mohamad Jamidan Abdullah said the move followed an integrated operation to combat corruption, subsidised diesel fraud and cigarette and alcohol smuggling.

He said the MACC led the operation with the cooperation of the Eastern Sabah Security Command; General Operations Force; Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry; Royal Malaysian Customs; and Bank Negara Malaysia.

"Raids were conducted simultaneously at 43 locations in Tawau, Sandakan, Keningau, Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, and Semporna.

"These raids were based on thorough investigation of intelligence information obtained by the MACC and other relevant agencies," he said in a statement today.

Mohamad Jamidan said cash and jewellery worth RM1 million were also seized during the raids.

He said further investigations would be carried out under Section 17(a) and 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.

"We believe that the corruption involved had cost the federal government and state government billions of ringgit.

"The success of the operation is due to the close cooperation among officers and personnel of the agencies involved," he said.

He said the MACC, on Tuesday, with the cooperation of several federal and state agencies, raided 49 locations in Sarawak to curb corruption, illegal logging and tax evasion by timber companies.

"In the operation dubbed 'Ops Gergaji', 519 accounts of companies and individuals amounting to about RM700 million were frozen," he said.

- Bernama