MELAKA: The Customs Department in Melaka foiled a smuggling operation involving 23,080 kilogrammes of frozen meat, with an estimated value including taxes of approximately RM461,600.
Melaka Customs director Nadzri Che Ani, in a statement today, said the seizure involved a trailer lorry carrying boxes of frozen meat concealed within a regular cargo vehicle to deceive Customs personnel.
“The lorry was stopped by a team of enforcement officers from the Melaka Customs branch on Feb 27, around 4.30 pm at a petrol station in Ayer Hitam, Johor.
“Upon inspection, it was found that the frozen meat came from Bolivia, a country not listed as an exporter of frozen meat to Malaysia by the Veterinary Department,” he said.
Nadzri said the boxes containing the meat were not transported using lorries offering frozen cargo services.
“The driver, in his 40s, also failed to present any relevant import documentation for the frozen meat being transported. He was detained for further investigation, while the cargo and trailer lorry were seized.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967.
