TAIPING: The Perak Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized several vehicles and smuggled cigarettes, with a total value, including unpaid duties and taxes, of RM3.65mil throughout January.
Perak Customs acting director Suzana Sarif said a team from the Taiping Enforcement Branch conducted a raid in Shah Alam, Selangor, on Jan 8, where they discovered a supercar suspected of violating conditions under the Customs Act 1967.
"The seizure value, including unpaid duties and taxes, is estimated at RM2.21mil.
"The modus operandi used was the abuse of duty exemption facilities provided under Section 14 of the Customs Act 1967," she told a press conference here on Friday (Feb 27).
Suzana said the department also seized a sedan worth RM96,575 in Serdang, Kedah, on Jan 15, on suspicion of it being a prohibited import.
She said the modus operandi for the latter involved using a cloned vehicle with Malaysian registration numbers to deceive the authorities. The drivers of both vehicles, aged in their 40s, have been detained to assist with investigations.
In a separate case on Jan 2, an inspection of a multi-purpose vehicle abandoned in an open area in Kuala Gula, near Kuala Kurau, led to the discovery of 80,000 sticks of smuggled white cigarettes, estimated at RM53,760.
Suzana said investigations revealed that the MPV had used a false registration number to facilitate smuggling.
"Luxury MPVs are being used to evade the authorities while distributing cigarettes to the local market. The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967," she said.
She also urged the public to report smuggling activities by contacting the Customs Toll-Free Line at 1-800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office in their state. – Bernama
