JOHOR BARU, Aug 28 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has seized contraband liquor, cigarettes and high-powered motorcycles worth more than RM3 million, inclusive of unpaid taxes, in Johor and Selangor.

Johor customs director Sazali Mohamad said the seizures were made in eight raids conducted between June 9 and August 2, during which eight people were arrested.

The suspects, aged between 22 and 44, comprise three local men, three Bangladeshi men, one Yemeni man and a Vietnamese woman.

"Johor (customs) conducted six raids and foiled attempts to smuggle liquor of various brands worth RM2.87 million, including in Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Gelang Patah; Johor Port, Pasir Gudang; Air Hitam Industrial Area; Klang and Shah Alam.

"In an attempt to evade detection, they hid the liquor in the middle of containers among other goods and made misleading cargo declaration,” he told a press conference at the Johor customs office here today.

He said 33,600 packets of white smuggled cigarettes worth RM22,600 were also seized in the operations.

During a raid on a house in Taman Perling on July 25, seven high-powered motorcycles and one mini motorcycle were confiscated.

Sazali said the motorcycles, worth RM876,000 inclusive of unpaid duties and taxes, were smuggled in from a neighbouring country by land.

He said Johor customs also raided an illegal factory in Taman Ekoperniagaan 2, Senai Airport City, Senai, on June 15 and seized 238 bottles of fake zamzam water worth RM11,700. — Bernama