TUMPAT: A total of 19,230 cartons of cigarettes worth RM3.14 million hidden in a building formerly used to farm swiftlet nests near Kampung Dalam here were seized by a team from the General Operations Force 9th Battalion (PGA9) yesterday morning.
It is understood that the seizure is the largest one made by the GOF on the Malaysia-Thailand border since last year.
PGA9 Commanding Officer Supt Nor Azizan Yusof said checks found that the ‘Liqun’, ‘Furonguang’ and ‘Nanjing’ branded cigarettes were all made in China, and this is the first time cigarettes of these brands were confiscated here.
Speaking during a press conference in Kuala Jambu here, he said the cigarettes were likely marketed to foreigners working in the country.
“Intelligence found that the cigarettes were brought in from neighboring countries before being stored in a building used to farm swiftlet nests, which is no longer in operation,” he said, adding, however, that no arrests were made during the operation.
In another development, he said PGA9 had seized various goods worth RM6.95 million since taking on the duties under the ‘Op Benteng’ operation on Oct 15. — Bernama
