Four arrested for making illicit liquor in a cellar beneath a shed

PONTIAN: The General Operations Force (GOF) has arrested four foreign men for making illicit liquor in a raid at Kampung Sungai Burung, Pekan Nenas, here.

GOF Fifth Battalion commanding officer Supt Dimin Awang said the suspects, aged between 19 and 44, were arrested inside a shed at about 4.30pm on Sunday (Oct 24).

“We seized items used by the suspects to produce the illicit liquor worth RM15,992.

“Investigations showed the group was active for a year. This is the first time we came across a shed that has an underground room to produce the liquor,” he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 25).

Supt Dimin said the suspects comprised three Vietnamese and a Myanmarese.

The confiscated items include 210 bottles of 1.5 litres each of transparent liquid believed to be samsu, 14 gallons of samsu in 20-litre containers, 10 boxes, three gas tanks, two pots, 22 packs of sugar, two sets of cooking stoves and RM1,000 in cash.

The case will be investigated under Section 75 of the Excise Act for making and processing liquor and possessing liquor distilling equipment.

In an unrelated case, Supt Dimin said three men, two of them Pakistanis, were detained for selling fireworks and contraband cigarettes.

The suspects, aged between 21 and 29, were also arrested on Sunday at about 5.30pm along Jalan Parit Haji Hashim in Simpang Renggam, Kluang.

“We confiscated 29 boxes of various types of fireworks and 28 cartons of contraband cigarettes, worth RM5,469.

“A car that was used by the suspects to sell these items around Simpang Renggam was also seized,” he said, adding that the total value of the seizures came to RM53,659.

The suspects have been taken to the Kluang police headquarters for further action.

The case is being investigated under Section 8 of the Explosives Act for selling firecrackers and Section 135(1) of the Customs Act for possessing contraband items.