Record haul: Mohammad Hafiz (centre) holding up some of the seized cigarettes.
SEREMBAN: Smuggled cigarettes with unpaid duties totalling almost RM4.5mil were seized along the North-South Expressway (NSE) in separate operations on the same day.
Negri Sembilan Customs Department director Mohammad Hafiz Ishak said the contraband – the largest seizure in the state this year – was found in two lorries.
The first lorry was stopped along KM441.5 of the south-bound lane of the NSE around noon on Nov 15 while the second was checked at KM342.2 four hours later.
“We are still probing if the smuggling was carried out by the same syndicate.
“A preliminary probe shows that the illicit whites were being transported from the north to be sold in other states,” he told reporters at the state Customs headquarters.
Mohammad Hafiz said the first lorry was found to be transporting 298 boxes containing 14,900 cartons of Lee-brand cigarettes.
“There were 2.98 million sticks in packets of 20s but with fake Customs labels and stamps to indicate that duties had been paid.
“We found another 353 boxes containing 17,650 cartons with 3.53 million sticks of the same brand in the second lorry,” he said, adding that both lorry drivers, who were in their 30s, were arrested.
The lorries belonged to two different companies.
Mohammad Hafiz said the cigarettes were estimated to be worth some RM556,000 while the unpaid duties and taxes totalled about RM4.35mil.
The lorries, which were also seized, were valued at RM35,000 each.
Mohammad Hafiz said each packet of 20 sticks was believed to be sold between RM8 and RM9 and its actual market price was between RM13 and RM15.
The cases were being investigated under Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967 and Section 74 (1)(a) of the Excise Act 1976.
Those convicted under both laws can be fined between 10 and 20 times the value of the goods or between RM100,000 and RM500,000, whichever is higher, jailed between six months and two years, or both.
“I would also like to appeal to the public to help Customs combat such activities as this not only causes the country to lose revenue, but it is a threat to national security and the people’s wellbeing,” said Mohammad Hafiz.
The public can call the Customs toll-free line 1-800-88-8855 to report such matters.
