MIRI: The Sarawak Customs Department thwarted an attempt to smuggle contraband cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, seizing goods with a total estimated value of RM566,691.20 including duties and taxes.
According to Sarawak Customs director Norizan Yahya, the raid took place at 8.30 am on Mar 16 following intelligence received from the headquarters Intelligence Zone.
A team from the Land Operations Unit of the Enforcement Branch, Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) in Miri, carried out the operation at Eastwood Valley Industrial Estate, where they inspected a locked 20-foot container.
Upon inspection, officers discovered a staggering 700,000 sticks of white cigarettes of various brands, all lacking tax stamps, alongside 1,536 litres of suspected contraband liquor stored within the container.
The estimated value of the seized items stands at RM74,372.00, while the total amount in duties and taxes evaded is calculated at RM492,319.20.
Cigarettes and liquor are classified as restricted goods under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023, requiring an Import Permit for legal entry into the country. The case is currently under further investigation.
Investigations revealed that the container was used as a storage facility for the prohibited goods.
Authorities believe the perpetrators were attempting to bypass customs regulations by concealing the contraband in the industrial estate location.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. If convicted, offenders face a fine of up to RM500,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both.
