JOHOR BARU: A smuggling syndicate listed a range of items, such as baby carriages, on its container manifest to bring in nine million sticks of illicit cigarettes but the ruse was uncovered after Johor Customs Department seized the contraband.
State Customs director Sazali Mohamad said a 12.2m (40ft) container from China was inspected by his men at the Customs inspection bay inside Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) on Sept 22.
Checks on its manifest showed that the container was supposedly bringing in items such as garden tools, faucets, lighting, computer accessories, hardware tools, electrical barbecue grill, bakery equipment and baby carriages.
Sensing something was amiss, the Customs then scanned the container, he told a press conference here yesterday.
Sazali said a further inspection of the container, together with two representatives from the shipping company, found that it contained 9.1 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, which did not have Customs’ clearance as it was imported from overseas.
He estimated that the seized cigarettes was worth about RM3.6mil while the unpaid duty and tax came up to RM6.4mil, bringing the total amount to about RM10mil.
“The modus operandi of this smuggling syndicate is to make a false declaration through the manifest when import is made and make PTP as a transshipment location before being sent to another location, hoping to go unnoticed by Malaysian authorities,” he added.
He said the container transited at PTP before heading to Kota Kinabalu Port, its final destination,
In an unrelated case, the department detained two Malaysian men, aged 36 and 41, after they were caught smuggling in 69 high performance tyres through the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ KSAB) in Iskandar Puteri.
Sazali said an enforcement team followed two multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), which entered the country via CIQ KSAB, before detaining them in Taman Cemerlang Lancar, Senai on Sept 26.
Checks on the MPVs found 69 brand new car tyres, ranging from 19 inches and above, which were imported from overseas, he said.
“The suspects did not make any declaration with the Customs Department when they brought in the tyres using the passenger route at CIQ KSAB,” he said, adding that the department also seized the two MPVs worth RM80,000.
Sazali said the estimated value of the seized items was at RM41,400 while the total duty tax was RM19,500.
