Customs: Sabah a hotspot for contraband smokes

KOTA MARUDU: Almost every area in Sabah has been categorised by the Customs Department as hotspots for the distribution and sale of contraband cigarettes.
Customs deputy director general (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Matrang Suhaili said the percentage of contraband cigarettes being sold in Sabah surpassed the national percentage of 32.2%.
"The demand for contraband cigarettes and alcohol in Sabah is high because they are cheaper," he told reporters after launching the state-level 'Ops Pacak 2015' here today.
According to him, three out of 10 packets of cigarettes and three out of 10 cans of alcohol being sold in the country are contraband.
"The government loses RM2.3 billion yearly in taxes which could not be collected due to smuggling activities," he said. – Bernama