JOHOR BARU: The Johor Customs Department has recorded its biggest seizure of the year after intercepting 9.3 million sticks of illicit cigarettes concealed in a shipping container at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), with the total value of the haul, including duties and taxes, estimated at RM8.5mil.
Johor Customs director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the seizure was made on May 18 at about 2.30pm following intelligence gathered by the department’s southern zone intelligence branch.
He added that a team from the Container Control Unit (CCU) of the Gelang Patah enforcement branch inspected a 40-foot (12m) container at a warehouse located within the free zone area of PTP together with representatives of the shipping company.
“During the inspection, officers discovered various brands of illicit cigarettes suspected to be non-duty-paid,” he told a press conference at Menara Kastam here yesterday.
Aminul Izmeer added initial checks revealed that the container had been declared in its transhipment manifest as carrying “base paper reels”.
“Investigations found that the container was believed to be en route from Vietnam to its final destination in Liverpool, England,” he said, adding that the contraband items were estimated to be worth RM2.1mil, while the duties and taxes involved were valued at RM6.3mil.
Aminul Izmeer also said the case is being investigated under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for making false declarations on goods to facilitate the smuggling of non-duty-paid cigarettes.
He also urged the public to help combat smuggling activities involving cigarettes, liquor, firecrackers, drugs and vehicles by providing information through the Customs toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office, assuring that the identities of informants would be kept confidential.
