BUTTERWORTH: The state Customs Department has busted a smuggling syndicate after seizing almost two million sticks of contraband cigarettes and kretek worth about RM1.95mil at a double-story terrace house at Permatang Pauh.
State customs director Rohaizad Ali said the seizure was made during a raid conducted by custom officers and personnel at about 1pm on Oct 8.
"We found the house was empty during the initial check, and we didn't find anything at first," he said during a press conference at the Customs Enforcement Storage Facility in Bagan Jermal on Wednesday (Oct 30).
Rohaizad said the officers then discovered a secret room hidden behind a custom-made cabinet where the contraband items were stashed.
“When we moved the cabinet, we found a door leading to a ‘secret room,’ and a further inspection of the room uncovered over 1.54 million white cigarettes and 450,120 kretek cigarettes of various brands, with an estimated value of RM581,254 and taxes amounting to nearly RM1.4mil,” he said.
He said the Customs had monitored the cigarette smuggling syndicate for a week before the raid.
Rohaizad said investigations are ongoing by the Customs Department to track other syndicate members involved.
He said a statement was taken from the owner of the house during the raid.
Rohaizad said the owner, a senior citizen, told the Customs that he had rented his house to foreigners for the past two years and was unaware of the cigarette smuggling syndicate.
"During the raid, there were no occupants, and efforts to track down those involved are ongoing," he said.
Rohaizad said that the smuggled cigarettes, some of which came from Indonesia, were intended for sale in the local market.
The case has been investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Acts 1967 and Section 74(1)(e) of the Excais Act 1976.
