Contraband cigarettes worth RM5.2m seized by MMEA

ALOR GAJAH: Eight Indonesian men were arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle cigarettes worth RM5.2 million on a boat, in the waters off Tanjung Tuan, here yesterday.
Malacca/Negeri Sembilan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director (Maritime) Captain Ahmad Faridi Ferdaus said the boat, dubbed KM Karya Jaya V, carrying the crew and skipper, aged between 21 and 47, was spotted around 6.30am.
"Based on information from the Maritime Control Centre, the suspicious looking boat was detected at the south of the Malacca Strait, heading towards the north, and moving in Selangor waters around 4.30am.
"Following the information received, a team of 10 personnel and an officer intercepted the boat around 7.2 nautical miles off the southwestern waters off Tanjung Tuan Malacca," he said in a press conference here today that was also attended by its deputy director, (Maritime) Commander Azam Samsudin.
Ahmad Faridi said upon inspection, 52,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes filled in 1,040 white boxes, from Jurong Port, Singapore were found and declared to the authorities. The cigarettes were supposed to be sent to Satun but a large portion had been transferred to several other boats along the route.
He said around 50% of the smuggled goods had been moved to another boat for distribution to the Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca.
He said the suspects were remanded to facilitate investigations while the boat was towed to the Maritime Region 5 jetty. — Bernama