TEMERLOH, Jan 17 — The Customs Department (JKDM) busted Pahang’s biggest smuggling attempt thus far after detaining a lorry at the Temerloh Rest and Recreation (R&R) southbound, and seizing smuggled cigarettes worth more than RM2 million.
Pahang JKDM director Wan Apandi Wan Hassan said the smuggled cigarettes were seized from a lorry that was parked at the R&R at 8.30am on January 5.
"Upon inspection, the lorry was found to be loaded with cigarettes that are banned from being imported into the country and worth RM258,800 while duty and tax for the smuggled items amounted to RM1.9 million.
"Following the raid, a 56-year-old local man, believed to be the driver of the lorry was detained for investigations," he at the JKDM office earlier today.
Wan Apandi said the lorry was believed to be headed to Kuala Lumpur from an East Coast state and did not rule out the possibility that the syndicate involved in the smuggling activity was using a false registration number for the lorry to fool the authorities.
The syndicate is believed to have sourced the smuggled cigarettes at the country’s border while the consignment would be taken to other locations for distribution.
Investigations will be carried out under the Customs Act 1967.
— Bernama
