JOHOR BARU: The Johor Royal Malaysian Customs Department have foiled attempts to smuggle 97,810 boxes of white cigarettes and kretek of various brands worth RM17.745 million including taxes in two separate raids at the Johor Port in Pasir Gudang, here, on May 18 and 19.
Customs assistant director-general (Enforcement) Datuk Johari Alifiah said Customs officers from the Pasir Gudang enforcement station found 44, 810 cartons of white cigarette and kretek worth RM2.205 million with unpaid taxes of RM6 million in a suspicious-looking container, in the first raid at noon on May 18.
“The goods in the container were declared as imported stainless steel hose clips. Upon further inspection, we found the container filled with 44,810 cartons of white cigarettes and kretek, or 8.757 million of cigarette sticks,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters at Sungai Pulai Customs Enforcement Complex, here today.
In a second raid the next day (May 19), Johari said a team of Customs personnel from the Johor Baru Enforcement Operation Unit conducted a check on a container at 10.50 am and found 53,000 cigarette cartons (10.600 million sticks) worth RM1.484 million with unpaid tax amounting to RM8.056 million.
He said the goods were declared as imported aluminum scraps for local distribution, and upon inspection, the containers were found to be filled with boxes labeled ‘R’ believed to be ‘rokok’ (cigarettes).
Johari said both cases are being investigated under Section 135 (1) (a) of the Customs Act 1967.
In a separate development, Johari said the department also crippled an attempt to smuggle out 798gs of methamphetamine worth RM47,880 in two separate cases in Senai, near Kulai on May 11 and 28.
He said Customs received information on the prohibited goods in the packages from a courier company before conducting a further inspection.
“In the first case, seven packets of drugs weighing 516gs were found hidden in two sets of speakers on May 11.
‘’Another seven packets of drugs weighing 282gs were found in a bicycle front lamp set and a blender in the second case on May 28,” he added.
Under the first case, Customs nabbed a local man and woman, in their 20s, and both had been charged at the Kulai magistrate’s court on May 21 for distributing methamphetamine under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - Bernama
