PETALING JAYA: The Johor Customs Department has successfully intercepted multiple smuggling attempts, seizing contraband cigarettes and alcohol valued at RM11.7 million in five separate raids across the state between July and last month.
Its director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi revealed the smugglers’ tactics involved making false declarations of goods to evade detection, as reported by The Star.
The series of raids began on July 17 at Tanjung Pelepas Port, where officers uncovered a container falsely declared as carrying plastic items.
“Upon inspection, officers discovered the container was loaded with undeclared cigarettes,“ he was quoted as saying, adding that the goods in the first operation were valued at RM8.4 million.
The very next day, on July 18, another raid at Pasir Gudang Port yielded contraband alcohol worth over RM1 million. This container had been falsely declared as carrying “Chinese prayer accessories.”
The operations continued into August, with a raid on August 16 targeting a warehouse in Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur, which yielded goods valued at RM768,426.
This was followed by a major seizure on August 17, where the department confiscated RM8,567,862 worth of undeclared cigarettes and alcohol at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar’s Import Branch.
The final operation in this series took place on August 20, where officials intercepted a vehicle in Taman Impian Emas carrying undeclared cigarettes worth RM539,000.
Aminul Izmeer confirmed that all cases are being investigated under Section 135 of the Customs Act 1967.
