KUALA LUMPUR: More than 400,000 sticks of contraband cigarettes were seized at the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
KLIA Customs department director Zulkifli Muhammad said an enforcement team inspected a warehouse within the FCZ at about 4.40pm on August 8.
"During the operation, officers uncovered 464,000 sticks of contraband cigarettes of various brands hidden under two separate airway bills.
"The items, falsely declared as 'Courier Bags', were believed to be intended for import into the country," he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 2).
The seizure, including unpaid duties and taxes, is valued at RM357,280, he said.
"We are investigating under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967, which covers offences of importing uncustomed or prohibited goods," he said.
In a separate case on Sept 18, 2025, enforcement officers at KLIA’s FCZ uncovered two parcels containing crystal methamphetamine hidden inside detergent packaging, Zulkifli said.
"The 1.3kg drugs with an estimated street value of over RM68,000 were bound for Sabah.
"The suspects hid the drugs inside detergent packages to avoid detection," he said.
In another case, the department seized 33 units of electric bicycles (e-bikes) worth more than RM38,000 during an enforcement operation at a business premises in the Klang Valley.
Zulkifli said checks at the premises uncovered the e-bikes, where the operator failed to produce any documentation related to import permits or approval from the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti).
"The seized goods were valued at RM38,108 with an estimated tax of RM19,111.16," he said.
According to investigators, the modus operandi involved using the business premises as a storage and sales outlet to market e-bikes without valid permits to the public.
"The case is still under investigation,” he added.
