MELAKA: An Indonesia-bound boat that was supposed to be empty was instead found with 701 smartphones hidden on board.
Melaka Customs director Roslan Yusoff said enforcement officers intercepted the boat at about 4.30am on July 23 at a jetty in Port Klang, Selangor.
"The boat was due to return to Indonesia after delivering vegetables, carrying only 250 empty boxes and no other goods," he said on Tuesday (Sept 29).
Roslan said a search found the smartphones wrapped in black plastic and packed into vegetable boxes concealed on the boat.
He said the seizure was valued at RM716,184, including duties and taxes.
"The used phones should have been declared to Customs, subject to a 5% tax and requires a permit from the Environment Department," he said.
Roslan said 11 foreign crewmembers aged from 34 to 61 were detained while a local man in his 30s who represented the shipping agent and handled the declaration documents was also arrested.
He said the case was being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
