PADANG BESAR, Dec 29 — The Perlis Royal Customs Department foiled 286 smuggling activities involving various commodities with seizures valued at RM5,983,463.19 and a total tax of RM3,852,890.08 so far this year.

Perlis Customs director Ismail Hashim said the seized items with the highest value were vehicles, with a total seizure of RM3,050,510 and a total tax of RM2,667,799.50, followed by drug seizures worth RM1,844.306.20.

"Other commodities seized were worth RM718,024.89, with a total tax of RM327,382.54. The seizure of cigarettes, meanwhile, involved RM222,059.03 with a total tax of RM593,407.33; liquor seizure recorded RM127,543.14 and a total tax of RM264,300.71.

"The seizure of commodities like petrol and diesel was valued at RM16,902.43 while cooking oil was RM4,117.50,” he told a media conference at the Enforcement Branch of the Padang Besar Customs Office here today.

Ismail said that among the most common modus operandi used for smuggling activities are hiding the goods under a pile of papers or smuggling them under a pile of clothes in pieces of baggage.

He added that throughout 2023, Perlis Customs managed to foil attempts to smuggle migrants, involving two Thai nationals, four Myanmar nationals and one Chinese national. — Bernama