KOTA KINABALU: Marine police seized 134,600 sticks of suspected untaxed cigarettes worth more than RM167,520 during a raid on a store in Tenom.
In a statement on Friday (July 31), the Sabah Region Four Marine Police Force said the raid was conducted with the Tenom district police headquarters’ Internal Security and Public Order Department at Kampung Amboi at 8.20am on Thursday (July 30).
A man believed to be guarding the unnumbered store fled into a nearby rubber plantation when the enforcement team arrived, it added.
Checks on the premises uncovered contraband cigarettes of various brands.
All the cigarettes were seized, while the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
Sabah Region Four Marine Police commander Asst Comm Ahmad Amri Abd Rahman said the unit had recorded 44 cases under the Customs Act as of July 30.
The cases involved 30 arrests and seizures valued at a total of RM6.21mil.
"We will continue to intensify enforcement operations to combat smuggling activities and protect the country’s security and economic interests," he said.
