JOHOR BARU: Police here have arrested three men for smuggling contraband cigarettes worth RM1.55mil.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the men are aged 42 to 58 and were arrested in a house that served as a storehouse in Taman Johor here at 10am on Tuesday (March 14).
“Along with the arrests, we discovered 136 cartons of illicit cigarettes of various brands, a Toyota Vellfire and Perodua Myvi,” he said.
“After further questioning, the suspects led us to another house nearby where 71 more cartons of contraband cigarettes were stored,” added Comm Kamarul Zaman at a press conference at the Marine Police headquarters in Tampoi here on Wednesday (March 15).
He said the seizure is the largest so far this year, adding that the suspects had been actively involved in the illegal activity for the past one month.
“They took out the seats of the two vehicles to transport the illicit items. They also covered the cartons with black cloth to avoid being seen by the authorities,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(D) of the Customs Act 1967.
