34 CUSTOMS MEN HELD OVER GRAFT
Officers allegedly received bribes from syndicates to allow contraband to pass at KLIA Cargo
THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained 34 Customs officers suspected of being involved in the smuggling of contraband, resulting in losses of more than RM2 billion for the country.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said syndicates were smuggling in tobacco and liquor at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Cargo in Sepang.
“The officers are in their 30s to 50s and include those ranging from Grades 19 (assistant enforcement officers) to 44 (assistant director),” he said at a press conference here yesterday.
Azam said the officers allegedly received bribes in exchange for allowing contraband to pass through without checks.
“These Customs officers were found to have received bribes totalling more than RM4.7 million from syndicates to facilitate the smuggling in of chewing tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol, health products and vehicle spare parts.
“An examination of import documents (K1) involving the syndicate-owned importing companies indicated that the government had lost between RM1.5 billion to RM2 billion in revenue over two years.”
However, Azam said as the syndicates had been active since 2017, the loss of revenue could well exceed RM2 billion.
Present was MACC anti-money laundering unit (AML) director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin.
MACC also arrested 27 people and business owners involved in the smuggling following a sixmonth investigation.
The arrests were made by the MACC AML unit following Operation Samba 2.0, which was carried out in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) beginning March 11.
The syndicates had been utilising forwarding agents as intermediaries for payments to enforcement officers to clear the smuggling of liquor, cigarettes, tobacco and other goods without declaration and necessary inspections into the country.
The syndicate was also believed to have used dummy accounts for bribe transactions with complicit civil servants.
Furthermore, the syndicate was also discovered to be involved in money laundering through shell companies, business accounts, money changers and licensed money lenders.
“The modus operandi is quite common. It’s not peculiar... the money was also transferred directly to their accounts and it has created a pattern. It seemed like they are not worried,” he said.
Azam said 231 bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies acting as mules with a total of RM17,621,578.50 had been frozen.
The MACC also seized mobile phones, laptops and eight luxury vehicles belonging to syndicate members. The IRB and BNM, said Azam, would also take action to recover the government’s losses.
Azam said MACC will wrap up its probe in 1½ months and submit the investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the next course of action.
Previously, it was reported that MACC officers had arrested and remanded 10 civil servants and five others in connection with the same case.
Before that, they arrested and remanded 11 individuals, including five public servants, to assist in investigations.