By Nancy Lai RM300,000 contraband fags, liquor seized
KOTA KINABALU: The State Customs Department has seized over RM300,000 worth of contraband cigarettes and liquor from a house in Taman Soon Kiong here.
A 43-year-old man was detained to facilitate investigation into the case, said Sabah Customs Director Datuk Dr Janathan Kandok at a press conference yesterday.
He said the suspected smuggler also had in his possession RM110,600 cash.
“The cash together with the 1,803 cartons of various cigarette brands and 25 liquor bottles were found in a room at a house in Taman Soon Kiong here,” he said, adding that the department had spent a week monitoring the man’s movements.
According to Janathan, other than charging the man under the Customs Act for possession of goods with unpaid duties worth RM2.7 million, the department would also investigate the suspect for money laundering activities. The department is also trying to ascertain the origins of the contraband cigarettes as among them were Fort Black and Che cigarette brands that were not among the common brands smuggled into the state.
“We also saw the Dunhill brand back in the smugglers list. They smuggled it some five to 15 years ago. We found it among those cigarettes seized,” said Janathan who officially retires Monday.
However, he said that they were still ascertaining the source country of the cigarettes that were smuggled into the state.
“The cash and seizure is the biggest so far this year,” he added.