KUCHING: Eighteen luxury vehicles of various makes were impounded by the Royal Customs Department (JKDM) in a special operation with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to prevent the abuse of facilities and smuggling of foreign vehicles into Sarawak.
The Deputy Director-General of Customs (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Azimah Abd Hamid said the total value of the impounded vehicles concerned was RM4,744,103 with tax duty of RM8,150,868.88.
“Referring to Item 13, Customs Duties (Exemption) Order 2017, exemption is only given to foreigners or Malaysian nationals with the status of Permanent Resident (PR).
“Or possessing valid work permit in a foreign country to drive vehicles registered by the relevant authority of the country concerned on condition that the vehicle must be re-exported within three months of the date it was brought in,” she told a media conference on the special operation, here today.
Azimah said the case was investigated under Section 133 (1) and Section 135 (1)(g) Customs Act 1967 where initial offences identified were over-staying, usage of vehicle passes suspected to be fasle and several violations of provisions under the act concerned.
Asked whether the activity was masterminded by a luxury car smuggling syndicate or an individual with the “datuk” title, Azimah said it was still too early to make a conclusion.
“We wait for the complete investigation. What we are saying here is that it involved luxury vehicles ... one should understand,” she said.
Commenting further, she said that based on the monitoring and information gathering by MACC, it was found that the incidence of foreign vehicles particularly from Brunei which had over–stayed was still rampant.
“These vehicles are suspected to be in the major towns in Sarawak especially in Kuching City and the Samarahan district,” she added. — Bernama
