Penang Customs seizes untaxed cigarettes and alcohol worth RM2.52 million in three raids across Penang and Kedah in July
BUTTERWORTH: The Penang branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has thwarted the smuggling of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, such as beer and liquor, resulting in the seizure of these illegal items valued at RM2.52 million in three raids in the state and Kedah last month (July).
Its director, Hasbollah Din said the success of the three raids was the result of public information received by his department and intelligence operations conducted before his team carried out surveillance and raided three terrace houses.
He said that during the first raid at 2 pm on July 10, his team raided a house in Kulim, Kedah, and the subsequent inspection found 205,880 sticks of cigarettes and 12,464.20 litres of various brands of alcoholic beverages suspected to be untaxed.
“The total value of the seizure, including duties and taxes, is estimated at RM1,286,644.63. During the raid, no one was present at the house, and it is believed that the syndicate rented the residence to store all the prohibited items.
“In the second raid on the same day at 3.30 pm in a house in Bukit Mertajam, near here, 31,840 sticks of cigarettes and 5,945.3 litres of various brands of liquor suspected to be non-customs goods worth RM398,449.55, including duties and taxes, were found,” he said at a press conference here today.
Hasbollah said the third raid was conducted at 6.30 pm on July 31 at a terrace house in Sungai Jawi, and a 40-year-old man was detained before his team seized 777,400 sticks of various brands of cigarettes worth RM843,827.60, including duties and taxes.
He said the modus operandi in all three cases was to hide untaxed cigarettes and liquor in a house used as a storage facility to evade detection by the authorities, and that all of the items were believed to have been smuggled in from abroad.
“All three raids are not related to each other, and the authorities are currently conducting further investigations, including tracking down the syndicate and its network.
“Our investigation also found that all the cigarettes and alcohol smuggled in were intended for distribution to the local market, and some types of the seized alcohol cannot be sold in our country as the alcohol content exceeds the permitted limits,” he said.
According to him, all three cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, which pertains to the protection, storage, concealment, or possession of any non-customs goods or prohibited items.
