KLANG, March 13 — The Customs Department seized 5.9 million sticks of white cigarettes worth over RM4.3 million in two separate operations conducted in Seri Kembangan and Kuala Lumpur on February 22 and February 29.
Customs deputy director-general (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Sazali Mohamad said the first seizure of two million sticks of white cigarettes was made after the team raided a warehouse in Seri Kembangan.
“During this raid, we found two million sticks of cigarettes, estimated to be worth RM1.33 million. All the seized items have been impounded and taken to the Northport Enforcement Store for further investigation,” he said during a press conference at the Northport Customs office today.
On February 29, the team conducted a raid on a lorry along the Karak-Kuala Lumpur Highway, and 3.9 million sticks of white cigarettes worth an estimated RM3.01 million were seized.
A local man, the lorry driver, was arrested, and both cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) and Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967 for storing and transporting prohibited goods.
In an unrelated development, Sazali said that on February 28, the Customs Central Zone Enforcement Division detained four containers containing used batteries, believed to not have permits and worth an estimated RM1.17 million, in the West Port.
The containers were impounded after a scan showed a dubious image, inconsistent with the description of the declared merchandise, such as aluminium flakes in Customs Form One, to avoid being detected by authorities.
The next day, cigarettes, liquor, and electronic waste worth RM1.52 million, kept in two containers, were also impounded at the same port after an attempt to mislead the authorities by declaring the goods as copper alloy through a manifest form to avoid detection by Customs, failed.
— Bernama
