KLANG: The Customs Department seized at least RM4.34mil worth of contraband cigarettes in a series of raids in Selangor.
Customs deputy director-general (enforcement/compliance) Datuk Sazali Mohamad said the first raid was conducted on a warehouse in Seri Kembangan on Feb 22 following a tip-off.
"We found two million cigarette sticks there estimated to be worth RM160,000 with RM1.33mil in unpaid duties," he told reporters at the North Port Customs Department Office here on Wednesday (March 13).
He said on Feb 29, a team stopped a lorry along the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway.
"We found 3.92 million cigarettes on board. We detained the lorry driver in his 50s for further investigation," he said.
He said the cigarettes seized were worth RM392,000 with RM2.62mil in unpaid duties.
Sazali said they also detained two containers at West Port and seized another two million cigarettes, 225 litres of alcoholic beverages and four tonnes of items believed to be ewaste.
"Checks revealed that the containers came from a neighbouring country, and its contents were declared as copper alloy,
"However, our scanners showed this did not tally with the declaration," he said, adding that the items seized were worth at least RM1.34mil.
Then, on Feb 28, Sazali said they seized four containers at West Port with over RM1.17mil worth of used batteries, which were falsely declared as aluminium flakes.
"Investigations revealed that the items came from a neighbouring country," he said.
Anyone with information on the smuggling of contraband cigarettes, alcohol or prohibited items can contact the Customs Department toll-free hotline at 1-800 888 855 or go to the nearest Customs office.
Identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential.
