IPOH: A smuggling operation to move RM808,562 worth of cigarettes has gone up in smoke following a state Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Customs) raid.
Customs raided an abandoned factory in Changkat Jering, Taiping, on Oct 10 and seized 1.06 million sticks of white cigarettes of various brands in the state’s largest illicit cigarette bust.
Its director Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mohamad said the department made its move after a month-long stakeout with the raid at around 7.05pm to discover various brands of cigarettes in the unlocked abandoned factory.
He noted that the seized cigarettes did not have stamp duty stickers and lacked information regarding the importer which is required under regulations set out under the Customs Duty (Prohibition on Import) Order 2023.
"These white cigarettes are believed to have been smuggled into the country through entry points at ports or waterways in the state of Perak.
"This is the largest seizure of white cigarettes to date in Perak,” he told a press conference on Thursday (Oct 17), adding that the case is being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967. - Bernama
