IPOH: The Perak Customs Department has foiled several smuggling attempts involving rice, frozen meat, tiles and electric bicycles, with total seizures and unpaid duties estimated at RM2.4mil.
Its director, Mohd Nadzri Ariffin, said the success was the result of coordinated enforcement operations by its units in Teluk Intan, Ipoh and Pengkalan Hulu.
He said the five separate cases were detected in January and February this year, with multiple seizures made at Port Klang in Selangor and in Gerik, Perak.
“In one case, on Jan 14, enforcement officers inspected a container at Port Klang and discovered 801 cartons of porcelain tiles that had been falsely declared as cement tiles. The goods were estimated at RM406,500, with unpaid duties totalling RM557,790.
“In a separate case on Jan 21, a lorry was intercepted along Jalan Lenggong–Gerik, where officers found rice believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country via the Kelantan route.
“The driver and his attendant were arrested, and initial investigations showed the rice was transported without a valid permit and was intended for distribution in Perak,” he told a press conference at the department on Wednesday (April 1).
He said that in another case on Jan 27, a total of 22.9 tonnes of rice were seized at Port Klang. The shipment had been declared as dhal beans and was transported without a valid permit.
Mohd Nadzri said the department also uncovered a major case involving frozen meat on Feb 12, when officers inspected two containers at Port Klang.
He said a total of 49,343kg of frozen meat, falsely declared as frozen dumplings, was seized.
“The meat was valued at RM614,832.26, with unpaid duties estimated at RM30,741.61,” he said.
“In another operation on Feb 6, a total of 418 electric bicycles were seized at Westport, Port Klang.
“The bicycles, worth RM358,244.27, were found to have been falsely declared as Malaysian-made products despite being imported from China,” he said.
He said all the cases are being investigated under Section 133(1)(a) and Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967.
