SIBU: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) Sibu has successfully seized 8.33 million cigarettes and undeclared liquor with a total value of RM6.32 million in a raid on a residential house in Brooke Drive here.
State Customs Director, Norizan Yahya said the raid on Oct 10 was carried out as a result of intelligence from the Sarawak Zonal Intelligence Centre before the Land Operations Unit team and Sibu RMCD Enforcement Branch raided the premises which was believed to be used as a storage location for prohibited goods.
According to him, further inspection found 8,330,000 cigarettes and 190.08 litres of various brands of liquor which were suspected to be undeclared, thus violating the Customs (Prohibition on Imports) Order 2023.
“The value of the seizure is estimated at RM750,840.48, while the estimated amount of import duties and taxes sought to be evaded is RM5,575,667.53,” he said at a press conference at RMCD premises here yesterday (Nov 17).
Norizan said the success proved the RMCD’s continued commitment to strengthening customs law enforcement in combatting increasingly cunning smuggling activities, including efforts to hide prohibited goods in residential areas to avoid detection by the authorities.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for storing or possessing prohibited or undeclared goods.
If convicted, the offender can be fined a minimum of 10 times the amount of duty or RM100,000, whichever is higher, up to a maximum of 20 times the value of the goods or RM500,000, or imprisonment of between six months and five years, or both.
In this regard, Norizan called upon the public to channel information related to smuggling activities via the Customs Toll-Free Line 1-800-88-8855 or contact the nearest customs office.
“Smuggling not only causes leakage of national revenue but also threatens the security and well-being of the people,” he stressed, while assuring that the identity of the informant would be kept confidential.
