BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Royal Malaysian Customs Department foiled an attempt to smuggle in white cigarettes estimated to be worth RM1.8 million in a container during an inspection in Port Klang, Selangor on March 7.
State Customs director Roselan Ramli said the inspection was conducted when the container anchored at the port at about 10.40 am.
“Upon further inspection, we discovered 900 boxes containing nine million sticks of white cigarettes worth about RM1.8 million with a total tax of RM6.12 million,“ he told a press conference here today.
Roselan said based on the documents obtained, the container, which originated from a Southeast Asian country, was managed by a shipping company with a branch in Port Klang and imported by a company based in Selangor.
He said that investigations found that the modus operandi of the syndicate is to declare the items as furniture to avoid detection by the authorities.
“Further investigations are underway to track down the suspects involved in the smuggling activities,“ he said, adding that the case was being investigated under the Customs Act 1967 and the Excise Act 1976. – Bernama
