ISKANDAR PUTERI, June 25 — District police in Johor today destroyed RM428,450 worth of confiscated illicit items consisting of cigarettes, liquor and cryptocurrency mining machines that were seized about five years ago.

Iskandar Puteri police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Kumarasan said the disposal order for the items were from cases after investigation that had gone to prosecution in court from 2019 until May this year.

"The investigation papers involved various categories of confiscated items such as cigarettes, beers, liquors, electronic products and also cryptocurrency mining machines.

"The items, scheduled to be destroyed after the legal process has been completed, were confiscated by the district police which involved 304 cases from 2019 until May this year,” he said at the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters here.

Johor deputy public prosecutor Nor Fadilah Johanuddin witnessed the disposal process.

Kumarasan said the bulk of the confiscated items were contraband consisting of 1,569 cartons of contraband cigarettes, 751 boxes and 352 cartons of alcoholic beverages worth RM174,300.

He said the cryptocurrency mining machines involved 517 units with a value of RM232,650.

"The other seized items were computers, mobile phones and other electronic items worth RM18,000,” he said.

He added that the disposal process will follow recycling procedures where any metal and solid waste will also be sold.