KLANG: The Customs Department has seized rice, electronic waste (e-waste), cigarettes and snuff tobacco valued at over RM10mil in several raids at West Port here and other locations across Selangor recently.
Customs Department Central Zone assistant director-general Norlela Ismail said 18,500kg of rice, valued at RM169,400, was discovered during a raid on a container at West Port in July.
She said the rice, believed to be illegally shipped in from Pakistan, was falsely declared as cashew nuts and parboiled basmati rice.
“Rice is classified as a prohibited item. It requires an import permit issued by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) under Item 25, Part I, Third Schedule of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023,” she said at a press conference yesterday, Bernama reported.
In a separate case, Norlela said the department foiled an attempt to smuggle 300,000kg of e-waste worth RM1.65mil following an inspection of 13 containers at West Port in September.
She said an investigation uncovered the smuggling of e-waste into Malaysia from a European country, falsely declared as aluminium alloy to mislead authorities and lacking proper authorisation.
Norlela also said that Customs seized 728,972 sticks of white and Kretek cigarettes, valued at RM608,803, during raids on Oct 22 and 24, and Nov 8.
The contraband was found in three unoccupied residential properties in Hulu Langat, Kajang and Bandar Sri Damansara.
“It is believed that the cigarettes belong to multiple syndicates using the houses as storage facilities for distribution in the local market,” she said.
Meanwhile, Norlela said that on Nov 5, Selangor Customs, in collaboration with the special investigation branch from the headquarters, seized 100 plastic bags suspected of containing snuff tobacco.
Seized during an inspection of a container at West Port, the tobacco weighed 3,000kg and was estimated to be worth RM8.44mil.
