KLANG: The Customs Department made its biggest haul this year with the seizure of contraband cigarettes and tobacco worth RM118mil.
The cigarettes and tobacco were smuggled into the country in 15 shipping containers and declared as fertilisers.
The containers were seized from both Westport and Northport during a Customs Department inspection between July 23 and Aug 12.
The department’s director general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin said the syndicate, which had tried to smuggle in the cigarettes and tobacco, is suspected of bringing the illicit goods from Asia and Europe.
There were a total number of 150.26 million cigarettes, worth RM21.31mil and RM96.78 unpaid duty, and 30 tonnes of tobacco, valued at RM3.18mil with RM6.98mil in unpaid duty, in the haul.
“Our investigations indicated that all the 15 containers had arrived at the ports on July 22,’’ said Anis Rizana, adding that the Customs Department believed the smuggling was carried out by a single syndicate and work was underway to identify the culprit behind the crime.
The case was being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967, said Anis Rizana who also urged members of the public with information pertaining to smuggling activities to call the Customs toll-free hotline at 1800-88-8855 or visit their Customs Department office.
On another matter, she said that the department had also caught two shipping containers at Westport on Aug 2 which had 35.13 tonnes of plastic scrap, during an inspection.
Anis Rizana said the party that had brought in the two containers had declared its contents as being HDPE Lump (high-density polyethylene lump).
She added the contents of the containers, which had arrived at the port on July 23, were estimated to cost RM91,000 with taxes.
“Investigations will be carried out to identify the culprit behind the import of the plastic waste for action to be initiated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967,’’ she said.
Anis Rizana added that her department was also trying to find out the location where the containers were supposed to be delivered.
