Melaka JKDM Foils e-Waste, Cigarette Smuggling Activities Worth RM1.84 Mln

MELAKA, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The Melaka branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) successfully foiled activities to smuggle electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) as well as various brands of cigarettes valued at RM1.84 million, including taxes, in three separate raids on Feb 11.

Its director, Roslan Yusoff said the first seizure involved 88,270 kilogrammes of used e-waste, with an estimated value of RM660,000 including taxes, held in four containers believed to be imported from an Asian country to Northport, in Port Klang, Selangor.

"Preliminary investigations found the e-waste in question was imported by two local companies, with addresses in Selangor, and the commercial goods were declared as 'copper concentrate' in the Customs Form 1.

"However, upon physical inspection, the four containers were found to be filled with used e-waste. All the containers were seized for further investigation," he said at a press conference here today.

He said a 40-year-old local man, representing the shipping agent company, who managed the importation of the containers into the country, has been detained to assist in further investigations under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1957.

He said both raids involved the seizure of 818,600 sticks of various brands of cigarettes, estimated to be worth RM624,263.20, including taxes, at a vacant house in the Melaka Tengah district at about 3.30 pm on the same day.

Roslan said after three hours of surveillance, the raids were conducted on the premises suspected of being used as stores for the smuggled cigarettes.

He said the inspection of the premises found some of the cigarettes affixed with fake Customs tax stamps, while others without the tax stamps were stored in several parts of the premises.

“The third raid involved 746,200 sticks of various brands of cigarettes, worth RM558,157.60, including taxes, at a car windshield repair shop in the same district at 4 pm.

"When the raid was conducted, the shop in question was not operating. Some of the cigarettes that were found had fake tax stamps while others had no tax stamps," he also said.

He added that the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1957, including tracing the source of the smuggled cigarettes and the connection between the two cigarette smuggling cases.

-- BERNAMA