JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized contraband cigarettes of various brands worth more than RM4 million through four separate raids in the city, Segamat, and Pahang, last Friday and Saturday.
Its director Sazali Mohamad said in the raids conducted between 8.30am and 10.15pm, last Friday, at Jalan Gambang and Bandar Indera Mahkota in Kuantan, Pahang and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak here, white and kretek cigarettes worth more than RM3 million were seized.
“A total of 2.62 million white and kretek cigarettes, as well as two lorries, estimated to be worth RM2.44 million, were seized in the raid on a premises in Jalan Gambang which is believed to be used as a storage facility for the cigarettes.
“In the raid on a premises in Bandar Indera Mahkota, 1.7 million cigarettes estimated to be worth RM1.51 million were seized,” he said in a statement today.
Sazali said a total of 200,000 white cigarettes estimated to be worth RM270,000 were confiscated in an inspection of a five-tonne lorry parked along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak here.
He said, in a raid at about 11 am last Saturday on a mini market and two cars in Tenang, near Segamat, a total of 131,484 white cigarettes and kretek estimated to be worth RM233,028 were seized.
In the raid, Sazali said they also detained a 42-year-old local man to assist in the investigations. — Bernama
