23 nabbed in ‘biggest contraband bust’ of RM9 million
MERSING: Police busted a contraband-smuggling syndicate based here and seized cigarettes and vehicles, worth RM9 million, in raids conducted in several locations statewide on Wednesday.
According to Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, it was the biggest contraband seizure in Malaysia and involved the arrest of 23 suspects.
He said 1,332 boxes of smuggled cigarettes, five lorries and 19 luxury vehicles, including Toyota Vellfire, were seized in raids on a factory in Felda Tenggaroh 2 here, a house in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Baru, and a factory in Iskandar Puteri.
“We found RM9,645 in cash and four Eramin 5 pills.
“The cigarettes are estimated to be worth RM6 million, while the value of the seized vehicles is estimated to be RM3 million,” he said at the Mersing district police headquarters here yesterday.
During the raid, police detained seven local men and 16 Indonesian nationals, aged between 24 and 46.
According to Acryl Sani, the syndicate, believed to have been run by a local mastermind, had been active for almost a year and had been using luxury cars to transport the contraband items to avoid suspicion.
“We believe they wanted to distribute it to small retailers in Johor and along the east coast,” he said.
Of the seven local suspects, three are under remand from Oct 10 to tomorrow to facilitate investigations under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, while the other four had been released on police bail.
All 16 Indonesians have been remanded for investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Customs Act 1967 and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.