SEREMBAN: Customs officials have seized a massive haul of contraband alcohol, worth an estimated RM11.5mil including unpaid duties, from a warehouse in Selangor.
Negri Sembilan Customs director Jamal Paiman said the raid was carried out on July 1 within the Port Klang Free Zone.
He said his officers seized 16,096 bottles and 568,470 tins of alcoholic beverages of various types during the 9.30pm raid.
“We believe the duties on the seized items had not been paid as required under Customs (Prohibition of Import) Order 2023.
“The items were then seized as provided under Section 114 of the Customs Act,” he said.
Jamal said the seized items were worth around RM4mil with unpaid duties totalling RM7.5mil.
He said a 27-year-old suspect was also detained during the raid.
“Investigations showed the modus operandi behind the smuggling attempt was to store it in the duty free zone before bringing it out to the main Customs area without going through the proper legal channels,” he said.
The case, he added, is being probed under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act and Item 30(1)(a) of the Free Zones Regulations.
Convictions under the Act carry a fine of up to 20 times the value of the goods and imprisonment.
In a separate operation on the same day, Jamal said his officers seized 426 boxes containing items such as electronic products and car spare parts after inspecting a lorry in Sepang.
“We believe the seized items had not been correctly declared. The items and the lorry have been seized,” he said.
Jamal said the products were valued at around RM640,000 with unpaid duties totalling almost RM70,000.
“We believe the imported products had been taken out from the Customs area without following the set procedures.
“The case is being investigated under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act,” he added.
