TANGKAK: A cigarette smuggling syndicate’s secret warehouse at a durian orchard in Kampung Teratai Bukit Serampang here was finally uncovered following a raid by the 6th Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF6) on Monday (Oct 4).
GOF6 assistant commanding officer DSP Salehin Suleiman said that in the 3.30 pm raid on a house in the plantation, police also arrested a 26-year-old man who acted as a middleman and caretaker of the premises.
He said inspections carried out on a lorry and two vans found 272 boxes containing 13,600 cartons of contraband U2 brand cigarettes, with the total value of the seizure estimated at RM3.4 million.
“Initial investigation found that the syndicate has been actively distributing the cigarettes for the past two months around Tangkak and Muar districts,” he said at a press conference today.
Salehin also said that the suspect has previous drug records and has been remanded under Section 135 (1) of the Customs Act 1967 for two weeks from Oct 5 to Oct 19.
He added that police are tracking down the remaining syndicate members.
Meanwhile, Salehin said the GOF6 had carried out 15 raids under a special operation codenamed Op Kontraban in Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan from January till now.
“From the raids, a total of 34 individuals were arrested and police also seized contraband cigarettes, alcohol, drugs as well as vehicles totalling an estimated RM7 million,” he said.- Bernama
