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ISKANDAR PUTERI: An attempt to smuggle some 342kg of illicit cigarettes into Australia has been foiled by the Johor Customs Department at Johor Port, Pasir Gudang.
State Customs Department director Misbahudin Parmin said the contraband was seized during a check at the Johor Port's Customs Examination Area at 11.35am on Dec 9.
"It was initially believed that there were drugs in a 40ft (12m) container at the port. Upon inspection, a team from the department's narcotics branch found dozens of illegal cigarettes instead," he told a press conference here on Thursday (Dec 29).
Misbahudin added that the cigarettes were hidden under the floor of the container and covered with boxes of tissues.
"Checks on the Customs documents found that the items were meant to be exported to Australia," he said, adding that this was the first time the department had come across such a method of hiding illegal cigarettes.
"Hiding drugs under the floor of containers is a common way for syndicates to avoid detection but this is the first time we've seen it used for cigarettes.
"They placed boxes of tissue over the compartment used to hide the cigarettes to make it look as though they were exporting the issues," he added.
According to Misbahudin, they have arrested a 35-year-old local man, a representative of the company concerned, to help with the investigation.
"The total value of the items seized was about RM140,300 while the unpaid duties amount to about RM285,900. The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967," he said.
