4.9 million illicit smokes seized from Tanjung Tokong house

ACP Shamsol holding the contraband cigarettes that were seized during an operation on Nov 14.

GEORGE TOWN: Marine police have seized 4.9 million contraband cigarettes worth RM5.1mil including unpaid duties in a raid on a house at Jalan Choong Lye Hock, Tanjung Tokong here.

Marine Operations Force Penang Region One commander Asst Comm Shamsol Kassim said the seizure was made on Tuesday (Nov 14) during Ops Taring Landai Kontraban, which started on Nov 10.

He said the two-storey house came to be on the radar of a police intelligence team on Sunday (Nov 12) as a suspected storage facility for contraband.

"After 48 hours of surveillance, police saw no-one entering the premises and raided the house," he told a press conference at the Batu Uban marine police base on Thursday (Nov 16).

ACP Shamsol said the raiding team confiscated 490 boxes containing 24,500 cartons with a total of 4.9 million cigarettes worth RM5,120,500 including taxes.

He said police were seeking the premises' owner to help with the investigation.

"The house is believed to have been rented by the syndicate as a store for smuggled cigarettes, and they will move (the goods) from one location to another to avoid detection," he added.

ACP Shamsol said they believe the cigarettes were smuggled in from a neighboring country via sea routes.

"The cigarettes are transferred from the smugglers' vessel onto (smaller) boats to bring them into Malaysian waters," he added.

The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.