BUTTERWORTH, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Penang Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM), in collaboration with the Department of Environment (DOE), foiled an attempt to smuggle two containers containing 40.25 tonnes of municipal solid waste at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) on Aug 23.
State JKDM director Datuk Rohaizad Ali said a thorough inspection of the containers revealed they contained waste materials such as plastic, rubber, wood, stones, metals, and various other items, all of which are classified as prohibited imports under the Customs Act 1967.
He added that the containers had been shipped from Savannah, USA, by a local company, with the inspection also being witnessed by a representative of the company.
“The importer falsely declared the items as ‘aluminium flakes’ in an attempt to avoid the need for an Approved Permit (AP),” he told a press conference at the state Customs Prevention Complex at Perai here today.
The inspection revealed that the actual contents were municipal waste, which is subject to special controls and requires technical approval from the relevant authorities.
Following this, JKDM detained two local men, in their 40s and 50s, for investigation under Section 135(1) (a) and Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
Rohaizad also said that Penang JKDM had seized various commodities worth RM75.227 million, including duties, across 214 cases from Jan 1 to Aug 31, 2025.
Of these, cigarettes accounted for the highest value of seizures, totalling RM11.51 million, with an additional duty of RM26.485 million from 80 cases.
"In addition, we seized drugs worth RM90.8 million in four cases, currency worth RM204,000 in two cases, and other goods in 23 cases, amounting to a total of RM24.47 million, including customs duties," he added.
-- BERNAMA
