KUALA LUMPUR: Seven individuals, including three enforcement officers and a company director, have been remanded in connection with smuggling activities uncovered in Port Klang, said to have caused tax leakages amounting to RM3.5bil.
It is learnt that the suspects – two women and five men – aged between the 30s and 50s were detained at several locations around Port Klang on Thursday by graft busters in an ongoing operation codenamed “Ops Transit”.
The suspects – three enforcement officers, three company employees and a company director – were brought to a Magistrate’s Court in Putrajaya yesterday for the remand application.
Magistrate Irza Zulaikah Rohanuddin granted a remand for three days until Sunday.
Sources with knowledge of the investigation said the syndicate was believed to have made false declarations in Customs Department forms to avoid tax.
The false declarations were also believed to be their way of avoiding from having to apply for permits, including from the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (Maqis) and the Energy Commission to import certain goods
“Graft investigators have identified a Singaporean as the syndicate’s mastermind. The individual is said to be currently abroad on a vacation with his family.
“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has frozen nine bank accounts belonging to the company and the individuals detained,” the source said.
Meanwhile, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the arrests.
He said investigations were carried out under Section 17(b) and 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
“We will also investigate the case under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2001,” he said.
The MACC and the Customs Department had carried out a special operation in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur recently, which saw 19 container lorries detained, suspected of carrying various types of imported goods.
According to sources, initial investigations revealed the syndicate owned more than 10 forwarding companies that were used to smuggle imported goods by submitting false tax declarations.
“The investigation conducted over three months found that the modus operandi involved using various forwarding companies registered under names of individuals unaware of the import and export transactions.
“This was done to deceive the authorities and enable syndicate members to evade any action against them by claiming they had no connection to the said companies,” said a source.
“It is estimated that this syndicate manages about 3,000 containers per month. The estimated tax evasion for the 10 years of operation amounts to RM3.5bil based on a minimum tax of RM7,000 for each container.
“To avoid taxation, the syndicate made false declarations using Customs Form 9 by declaring it as non-taxable items such as wheelchairs and medical supplies,” said the source.
The investigation also revealed that these “flying containers” would enter the Public Licensed Warehouse at North Port for only 10 to 15 minutes to deceive the authorities, with the containers not undergoing proper Customs inspection, and were then distributed throughout the country.
