Op Pacak: 60 premises in Sabah to be inspected

SANDAKAN: The Customs Department will conduct inspections on some 60 premises suspected of selling smuggled cigarettes and alcoholic drinks in the state.
Its deputy director-general (Enforcement and Compliance), Datuk Seri Zulkifli Yahya, said the inspection, under the operation codenamed 'Op Pacak' would be carried out in collaboration with the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS).
"For the Sandakan district alone, the department would carry out inspections on 20 premises.
"The operation is part of the Customs Department efforts to combat cigarette and liquor smuggling activities that have caused the government to incur huge losses in tax revenue," he told a press conference after the launch of Op Pacak, here today.
Also present was MPS president Datuk Peter Hii Chang Lik.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli said a total of 12 million sticks of cigarettes, for which about RM8 million in tax was not paid had been seized in the state during the first eight months of this year.
Earlier in his speech, he said a total of 1.2 billion sticks of cigarettes worth RM1 billion in tax and 11 million litres or RM400 million of contraband liquor were confiscated last year. — Bernama