The boxes containing contraband cigarettes found in the house.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police believe they have crippled a smuggling ring with the seizure of illicit cigarettes worth some RM250,000 at a house in Penampang near here.
A team from the Sabah Criminal Investigation Department (CID) special investigation (D9) unit also detained two men at the house in Taman Oriental.
Sabah CID chief Senior Asst Comm Azmi Abd Rahim said the police stormed the premises following a tip-off at 6.20am on Friday (Jan 12).
“After checking the house, we found 445 boxes which contained 1,132,800 cigarette sticks.
“We estimate the contraband items to be worth about RM250,000,” he said when contacted on Saturday (Jan 13).
He said the men detained were the 48-year-old houseowner and his Filipino worker aged 26.
“We believe the house was used to keep illicit cigarettes.
“Following questioning, we also found the cigarettes were sourced from the Sarawak border town of Lawas and Labuan, among others,” said SAC Azmi.
He said the suspects would stash the items at the house before distributing them for sale in Kota Kinabalu.
"Investigations are ongoing to identify other people involved in the activity,” he said, adding the probe was classified under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for keeping in possession prohibited goods.
