PUTRAJAYA: Graft busters are zeroing in on enforcement agencies following the latest arrest of 34 Customs officers at KL International Airport (KLIA) Cargo suspected of being involved in the smuggling of contraband items and vehicle spare parts.
Their corrupt practices, believed to have been going on since 2017, resulted in a more than RM2bil loss in tax revenue, said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
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He said the commission will not just act against these corrupt officers but also ensure the lost revenue is returned to the country’s coffers.
Azam said action must be taken against public officers whose corrupt acts have tainted the image of the civil service.
“What is also important is that we act against these people to stop leakages and losses, and to track the money so that it can be returned to the government,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Azam warned that those in cahoots with corrupt civil servants would also be made to pay.
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“We will make them return the money, including through payment of taxes that they avoided paying before,” he added.
He said the MACC has been on several cases involving civil servants since early this year.
He cited the arrest of the Customs officers at KLIA Cargo, a senior officer with the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters, and several senior enforcement officers as some of the cases being investigated.
“The amount of losses to the country due to corruption is massive. It must be stopped,” Azam said.
He added that the 34 Customs officers from the KLIA Cargo import/export branch arrested to date are believed to have caused leakages of up to RM2bil in the country’s revenue over the past two years.
Under a special operation codenamed Samba 2.0, the MACC also arrested 27 people including business owners in connection with the case.
Azam said a taskforce comprising the MACC, the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and Bank Negara was set up to investigate the case, adding that it was on the case for six months before the arrests were made.
“These officers were involved with inspection and prevention. The officers, who we believe have received bribes from companies and forwarding agents, would let the goods go without inspection or declaration.
“Even if they did carry out an inspection, it would not be thorough,” he added.
Azam said from the investigation so far, the Customs officers were believed to have received RM4.7mil from a syndicate to facilitate the smuggling of chewable tobacco, cigarettes, liquor, health products and vehicle spare parts.
“We believe this so-called ‘working relationship’ between the officers and the syndicate has been going on since 2017,” he added.
The MACC’s anti-money laundering division also froze 231 bank accounts with more than RM17mil belonging to the suspects.
Azam said investigators are aiming to complete their investigation in six weeks and submit the papers to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
“At the same time, LHDN and Bank Negara are looking at the recovery of money and assets.
“We are not involving the Customs Department in this case to avoid any conflict of interest,” he added.
It was earlier reported that more than a dozen civil servants from an enforcement agency were remanded. They were alleged to have received bribes from a smuggling syndicate.
