Negri Customs Thwart Smuggling Of Cigarettes, Liquor Worth Over RM5 Mln

SEREMBAN, July 10 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan Customs Department (JKDM) busted cigarette and liquor smuggling involving a total seizure including taxes estimated at RM5.48 million through four raids held in Selangor in May.

Negri Sembilan JKDM director Muhammad Ilyas Queek Abdullah said all operations were carried out after intelligence gathering, which led to raids at several premises around Klang and Rawang in Selangor.

“In the first case, an inspection carried out at a warehouse in the Kapar industrial area, Klang, uncovered 59,489 bottles of liquor along with counterfeit tax labels, bottle stickers, liquor packaging, empty bottles and a bottle capping machine on May 5.

“The value of the seizure is estimated at RM143,691 while the estimated tax involved is RM1.4 million,” he said in a statement here today.

He said in the second case, a raid at a warehouse in Taman Klang Utama, Klang, on May 13 found 61,864 packets of white cigarettes and kretek of various brands suspected of being illicit goods with a seizure value estimated at RM123,585 while the tax is estimated at RM745,373.

Muhammad Ilyas said in the next two raids in the Anugerah Suria industrial area, Rawang, on May 19, his raiding party uncovered 143,600 packets of white cigarettes and kretek with a seizure value of RM246,144 with an estimated tax of RM1.2 million.

In addition, the Customs party also seized 99,500 packets of e-cigarettes (heated tobacco products of various brands) suspected of being prohibited goods under the Customs (Prohibition on Imports) Order 2023 with a seizure value of RM208,810 while the tax involved is estimated at RM1.4 million.

He said the first case was being investigated under Section 20 (1) of the Excise Act 1976 while the second to fourth cases were being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967.

-- BERNAMA