Another customs officer remanded

PETALING JAYA: Another customs officer was remanded for alleged corruption by the magistrate's court today while one of the 12, who have been remanded since Sept 3, was released.
In doing so, magistrate Mohd Nazri Omran allowed the application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to extend the remand for the remaining 11 officers as well as the one remanded today.
These officers are part of the 22 people who were nabbed by MACC for alleged involvement in corrupt activities relating to the smuggling of contraband items.
It is learnt that the officer who was released is an assistant enforcement officer.
Speaking to reporters later outside the court, DPP Kevin Morais said the remands for six of those detained were extended for seven days, another two for six days and the remaining four for one day, after which they would be released.
The officer who was remanded today had his remand extended for another six days, he added.
Morais said the application to have the remand extended was because the investigators needed more time to continue with their probe and because of the roles they played in the customs department.
Defence counsel Gerard Lazarus said a state director, a "Datuk" who was detained with the initial 12, is one of those whose remand was extended seven days.
Lazarus and counsel Gabriel Susayan are representing the "Datuk" and the other 11 officers remanded.
It was reported on Sept 5 that a total of 22 people, including 12 customs department officers, were detained for alleged smuggling of contraband items worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.
The 22 people are reportedly part of the largest syndicate smuggling cigarettes and alcohol from Port Klang's duty free zone, for sale in local and international markets.
The others detained were company owners, their agents, as well as a lorry driver who transported the items.
MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull was reported as saying that all were detained in a special operation in the Klang Valley in which money and smuggled items were seized from a warehouse.
He added MACC swooped in for the arrests after carrying out surveillance on the duty free zone in Port Klang for more than a year.