ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor Customs Department has seized more than 21 million illicit cigarette sticks during two separate checks at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) earlier this month.
The department’s director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the seizures were made at the Customs inspection bay in PTP on March 4 and March 13.
“The smuggler's modus operandi was to place 160 boxes of children's plastic toys in the front of the container, while contraband cigarettes were placed in the back.
“During a thorough inspection, officers found that the contraband cigarettes were not declared," he said at a press conference held at Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar here on Wednesday (March 20).
Aminul Izmeer added that the two containers seized during the inspections were on their way to their final destination, Mexico.
"Efforts to trace the owner of the merchandise are being carried out," he said, adding that the estimated value of cigarettes and customs duty involved was about RM18.3mil.
In an unrelated case, Aminul Izmeer also said that the department had stopped an attempt to smuggle alcoholic beverages worth RM1.8mil also at PTP on Jan 29.
“Our officers found 69,360 tins of various beer brands, which is equivalent to 60,996 litres of alcohol in three different containers at the same location.
“The modus operandi of this syndicate is to make confusing declarations in its Customs form. Initially, some of the items listed in its manifest transshipment were PVC granules, decorative sandwich wallpaper and laminate flooring,” he added.
Aminul Izmeer said the two cases were investigated under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for making false declarations.
