PORT KLANG: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 9.7 million cigarette sticks estimated at RM7.25 million, in an operation at the Container Inspection Field here on Jan 4.
Customs director-general Datuk Seri T. Subromaniam said a 35-year-old shipping agent was also arrested during the operation.
“We inspected a 40-foot container and found D-Blend and Canyon brand of cigarettes which have been smuggled into the country.
“The 9.7 million cigarette sticks seized were estimated at RM776,000 with unpaid taxes amounting to RM6.5 million,“ he told a press conference which was also attended by Customs assistant director-general (Enforcement) Datuk Azimah Abd Hamid here, today.
Subromaniam said the contents of the container were falsely declared as gloves, phone accessories and cooking utensils on the Customs forms.
In a separate case Subromaniam said, an Indian national and three Pakistani citizens aged 21 to 36, were detained at a premises in Meru, Klang on Jan 2, for alleged involvement in the smuggling of chewing tobacco.
“In the 4pm raid we found various kinds of chewing tobacco worth RM387,355 with unpaid taxes amounting to RM435,845,“ he said adding that a packaging machine was also seized. — Bernama
