KOTA TINGGI: A 34-year-old foreign man has been arrested in connection with the seizure of illicit cigarettes and alcohol worth more than RM111,000 during a police operation near Jalan Kulai early Friday morning (April 4).
Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Yusof Othman said the arrest was made during an inspection by a team from the 6th Battalion of the General Operations Force (PGA), based in Muar, at a workers’ hut located near the Orchard Golf junction around 12.10am.
“During the raid, officers found eight brown boxes containing various brands of cigarettes and 19 boxes of alcoholic beverages, believed to be untaxed, hidden inside the hut,” he said in a statement, here, on Saturday (April 5).
Among the items seized was a motorcycle along with its ignition key. Police also confiscated 400 cartons of cigarettes, amounting to 80,000 sticks.
In addition, authorities seized nine boxes containing 216 cans of red-labelled beer (500ml), eight boxes containing 192 cans of yellow-labelled beer (500ml), and two boxes containing 48 cans of blue-labelled beer (500ml). Also found was a box containing 28 bottles of whisky (350ml).
“The estimated value of the seized contraband is RM111,689,” said Supt Yusof.
A remand order for the suspect was obtained on April 4 from the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court under Section 116C of the Customs Act 1967, allowing police to detain him for seven days until April 10 to facilitate investigations.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for possession of untaxed goods and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for staying in the country without valid documents.
