BUKIT MERTAJAM: Several grocery shop operators thought they could outsmart the authorities by keeping illicit cigarettes in biscuit tins and secret compartments.
One of them kept the untaxed cigarettes in biscuit tins placed on top of shelves at the shop in Bukit Mertajam.
A raid by the Customs Department party seized about 30 cartons of such contraband.
At another grocery shop in Taman Alma Jaya, Customs officers seized several cartons which had been neatly stacked at the bottom of the shelves.
The officers then found more cartons packed in three paper boxes on the upper floor of the shop.
At the third outlet raided here, a few cartons were found kept inside black plastic bags.
Among the brands seized were U2, Gudang Garam and John.
A Customs Department source attributed their success to efforts put in during three days of intelligence gathering.
The source said similar operations were also carried out in Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan and Selangor yesterday with nine outlets searched.
On Wednesday, enforcement personnel raided 10 retail outlets in Kedah, Perak and Johor, which led to the arrest of 15 shop owners. Each packet of the banned cigarettes was sold at between RM3 and RM3.50 while a carton costs RM33.
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