Customs foil attempt to smuggle cigarette, alcohol worth more than RM17 million

SIBU, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Customs Department Sibu successfully foiled an attempt to smuggle in 45 containers of liquor and cigarettes worth more than RM17.47 million in a raid carried out on a private jetty at Jalan Salim-Stabau on Sept 5.

Acting on tip-off, the department’s enforcement team carried out a raid at 11.30am and had successfully detained a tug boat towing a barge carrying 45 containers suspected of ferrying goods from oversea that had not yet passed the customs clearance.

“The team also found more than 403 boxes of wines in a warehouse located near the jetty,” said Royal Malaysian Customs Department director-general Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy in a news conference here today.

He said upon inspection, a total 76,250 cartons of branded beer were found in 44 containers, estimated to be worth RM2.42 million with tax totalling RM11.27 million.

A total of 21,250 cartons of white cigarettes with a value of RM340,000 and a total tax of RM3.10 million were found in one container, while the value and taxes for wines seized from the warehouse estimated at RM346,956.71, he said.

He said that all these items believed to have been brought in from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and seized under Section 114 of the Customs Act 1967 for alleged offence under Section 135 (1) of the same Act.

During the raid, eight crew members – seven from Indonesia and a local man – aged 20 and 46, were arrested and they were remanded to assist in the investigation.

-- BERNAMA