TAWAU: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Sabah has busted five smuggling cases involving controlled goods, subsidised items and duty-unpaid cigarettes worth RM662,088.26, including duties, under the Joint Task Force (JTF) 2026 operation.
State Customs Director Ahmad Taufik Sulaiman said the joint operation with Indonesia's Bea Cukai, running from July 13 to Aug 14, covered Tawau, Kota Marudu, Papar and Sandakan, with two local men in their 40s arrested in Tawau.
The biggest seizure, worth RM351,598.82 including duties, involved controlled and subsidised goods at an illegal jetty in Tawau, while another operation in the district netted 89,600 duty-unpaid cigarettes valued at RM73,859.20.
Separate raids in Kota Marudu, Papar and Sandakan seized another 246,320 duty-unpaid cigarettes worth more than RM236,000.
All cases are being investigated under the Customs Act 1967 and JKDM urged the public to report smuggling activities through its toll-free hotline or the nearest Customs office.
