BUTTERWORTH: More than 80,000 vapes and almost 1000litre of vapes liquid worth RM5.1mil have been seized by the Customs Department in separate raids in Penang and Selangor.
Penang Customs Department director Rohaizad Ali said all the seized items were believed to have been brought into the country from China for the local market.
"In the first raid at North Butterworth Container Terminal around 1.15pm on April 3, Customs seized 14,200 unit of vapes and 220-litre of vapes liquid worth about RM1.5mil including tax," he told a press conference at the Bagan Jermal Enforcement Storage Facility on Thursday.
He said further checks on the container revealed that the items had been declared as plastic material along with other imported merchandise.
He said two men, a port agent and a Chinese national in their 30s, were detained during the raid.
He said the Chinese national admitted to owning the container which held other imported items.
Rohaizad said that in the second raid conducted at Port Klang, Customs confiscated 71,886 vape units and 786-litre of vape liquid and electronic gels around 11am on April 10.
"The seized items were worth about RM4.64mil inclusive of taxes," he added.
He said both cases are being investigated under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
