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The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Unit III (LTAKL) Central Zone successfully thwarted attempts to smuggle approximately 5,000 kilograms of chewing tobacco, involving duties worth over RM409,000, in three separate cases between May and early June.
Customs Central Zone Assistant Director-General Norlela Ismail announced that two of these incidents occurred at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1, with the third taking place in the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) at KLIA.
Chewing tobacco is a prohibited item under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023, specifically listed under Item 66, Schedule 2, Entry 3.
At a press conference, Norlela detailed the first case on May 29, when the Enforcement Division Unit III (LTAKL) Central Zone detained and seized 2,700 kilograms of chewing tobacco that was being imported without a valid permit in the FCZ at KLIA. "The modus operandi involved declaring the cargo as ‘console cargo’ with a fake importer’s name. After the cargo was detained, no party or agent came forward to claim the goods or submit the import documents," she explained.
The second case, on June 3 at KLIA Terminal 1, involved the detention of two foreign men, aged 23 and 25, arriving from a South Asian country, who were caught smuggling 57.9 kilograms of chewing tobacco. The tobacco was found in two checked-in bags, but the suspects failed to produce a valid permit and were suspected to be part of a larger group. "This suspicion is based on the discovery of 88 other bags left on the baggage carousel after the two men were detained. Checks revealed all the bags arrived on the same flight, indicating other syndicate members intentionally left the 88 bags after their activities were uncovered," Norlela added. A total of 2,250 kilograms of chewing tobacco were found in those bags.
In the third case on June 7, two foreign men, aged 33 and 55, arriving from a South Asian country, were detained for the same offence, with 60 kilograms of chewing tobacco seized. Norlela noted that these individuals frequently entered Malaysia for short stays, with return tickets to their home country dated June 14.
The case in the FCZ at KLIA is being investigated under Regulation 30 (1) of the Free Zone Regulations 1991, while the two cases at KLIA Terminal 1 are being investigated under Section 135 (1) (f) of the Customs Act 1967.
In a separate case, JKDM detained a 67-year-old American man at KLIA Terminal 1 on June 4 for smuggling 2.245 kilograms of cocaine worth RM449,000. "The man had flown from Sao Paulo, Brazil, transited in Doha, Qatar, before arriving in Malaysia. The syndicate had recruited the elderly man to carry a suitcase filled with drugs to a designated destination, and he has been remanded until June 18," Norlela said. This case is being investigated under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
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