Mohd Nasir (seated, centre) with the seized containers in the background
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Customs Department has managed to cripple two syndicates selling illegal alcoholic drinks and cigarettes in separate raids here and in the Tawau district earlier in December.
In total, Customs managed to seize items worth some RM7.9mil in the raids jointly conducted by the Special Investigation Branch, the enforcement unit as well as the Customs Operational Battle Force Response Assault (Cobra) team on Dec 13 and 14.
Sabah Customs assistant director Mohd Nasir Deraman said his men had earlier seized four containers filled with the contraband at the Sepanggar Port near here and Tawau Port.
He said they believed the items were smuggled into the country to be sold locally.
In the first case, he said, they stopped two containers with illegal alcohol which smugglers attempted to sneak through the Tawau Port at 7.20am on Dec 13.
"Following a check, we found 36,432 litres of alcohol worth over RM218,000, with unpaid duties and taxes amounting to over RM568,000," he said, in a statement here on Thursday (Dec 22).
In the second raid at the Sepanggar Port near here, Mohd Nasir said, they found contraband alcohol and cigarettes in two containers at 10.15am on Dec 14.
He said his men decided to inspect the containers after making a risk assessment as well as scanning the cargo.
"In one of the containers we found 31,752 litres of contraband alcohol worth over RM104,000 with unpaid taxes of RM466,000.
"In the other container, we found 10.3mil sticks of cigarettes worth some RM824,000 with unpaid duties valued at some RM6.8mil," he said.
Mohd Nasir said the smugglers tried to evade the authorities' attention by falsely declaring the contents of the containers.
He added that the case was being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 which provides for a maximum fine of 20 times the amount of the items seized or RM500,000 or whichever is higher, on conviction.
The offenders can also be jailed for a maximum of five years, he said.
Towards this end, he urged the public to assist the authorities in curbing smuggling activities involving cigarettes, alcohol, fireworks and drugs, among others.
Mohd Nasir also cautioned the people not to get involved in such crimes which only hurts the country's revenue besides posing a danger to the nation's and the people's safety.
He urged the public to channel any information they had on such activities to the toll-free number 1-800 88 8855 or the nearest Customs office.
