Marine police seize over 4,000 cartons of illicit cigs
PORT KLANG: Marine police seized 4,560 cartons of cigarettes worth RM748,320 including unpaid tax, believed to have been smuggled in from a neighbouring country.
It was found during an operation at the riverbank of Sungai Bagan Tengkorak, Kuala Selangor, yesterday.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department deputy director Datuk Zainal Abidin Kassim said the 4.30am operation was mounted by a team from Port Klang marine police following their two-day surveillance and intelligence findings.
Also seized were seven vehicles, four of which were Toyota Innova MPVs, two Toyota Hiace vans and one Cherry Easter MPV, believed to be used to transport the cigarettes.
“During the raid, a group of men were spotted loading the cigarettes onto the vehicles, but they fled when the police approached.
“We managed to apprehend four of them who are all locals aged between 19 and 50. We also spotted
a boat, but it quickly sped off towards the sea,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Zainal Abidin said all the 4,560 cartons of cigarettes were found in the vehicles, which used fake regis-
tration numbers.
“A check on the road tax found that they were registered under a company in Kuala Selangor.
“We are in the midst of identifying the mastermind,” he said. The value of the cigarettes and the seven vehicles seized is estimated at RM1.128mil. Further investigation is being done under Section 135 (1)(d) of the Customs Act.