Customs seizes smuggled cigarettes worth over RM7 million

BUTTERWORTH: The Customs Department has thwarted attempts to smuggle in 9.65 million sticks of cigarettes worth RM7.08 million including unpaid tax, in two raids in Port Klang, Selangor on May 5 and 7.

Penang Customs director Abdul Halim Ramli said a team from the department’s internal investigation unit and enforcement division carried out the first raid on a container lorry at Jalan Teluk Gong, Port Klang on May 5 at 8.30pm.

“Upon inspection, 4.95 million sticks of white cigarettes worth RM396,000 with tax amounting to RM3.171 million were found in the container.

“We detained the driver and the lorry was taken to the Penang Customs enforcement division for further investigation.

“We also detained another man, who was the operation manager of a delivery company operating in Klang believed to have been used by the syndicate to bring in all the seized cigarettes,’’ he told a press conference yesterday.

On May 7, the team raided another container at Port Klang and found 4.7 million sticks of cigarettes worth RM376,000 with unpaid tax amounting to RM3.14 million.

Abdul Halim said the department also detained two men who were the importer and delivery agent to help in the investigations.

He said the preliminary probe found the containers were handled by shipping and delivery/logistics companies with branches in Port Klang and, through documents obtained, the goods were suspected to be from an East Asian country.

“The modus operandi of the two syndicates is by declaring their goods as carpets but they were actually carrying various cigarettes which they try to smuggle into the local market. We also do not rule out the possibility that the two syndicates are linked,’’ he said.

The four men, all in their 30s, were have been remanded for further investigations under Section 135(1)(e) and Section 135(1)(g) of the Excise Act 1976.