JOHOR BARU, Sept 24 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department in Johor seized 2.91 million sticks of kretek and white cigarettes, estimated at RM3.9 million inclusive of duty and taxes, in two operations on September 6 and 12.
Customs deputy director-general (enforcement and compliance) Datuk Sazali Mohamad said the first seizure was made by the Johor Customs Enforcement Division Operations Unit after an inspection of a commercial lorry at the Sultan Iskandar Building here.
He said 830,000 sticks of white cigarettes worth RM166,000 with import duty and sales tax amounting to RM564,400 were found in the lorry, driven by a 39-year-old local man.
“The modus operandi is to not declare the cigarettes, with the intention of smuggling it through commercial lorries into Singapore,” he said during a press conference at the Menara Kastam here today.
The second seizure on Sept 12 was made by the Muar Customs Enforcement Division from three residences around Jerantut, Pahang, and Marang, Terengganu, he said.
He said it involved 2.08 million sticks of kretek and white cigarettes worth RM625,000 with import duty and sales tax of RM2.58 million, suspected to be smuggled from Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
“They use residential premises to store the cigarettes. We are tracking the owners of the residences,” he said, adding that the cases are being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967. — Bernama
