DENGKIL, Nov 19 — The Customs Department confiscated 8.39 million sticks of contraband white cigarettes worth RM6.38 million in an operation carried out at West Port in Port Klang on Tuesday (November 12).
Customs assistant director-general (enforcement) Raizam Setapa@Mustapha said the total seizure is valued at RM784,117 with an estimated unpaid tax of RM5.61 million.
The operation carried out at 11am involved the inspection of six containers which led to the arrest of a local shipping agent in his 50s for further investigation.
"On the documents, these goods were declared as various products. During the raid, the front of the container was filled with boxes of snacks, cereal products and drinking water. We found these cigarettes of various brands behind these boxes,” she said during a press conference today.
Raizam said the investigation is currently focused on identifying the importer of the cigarettes, believed to come from South Asian countries and was to be sold in the local market.
“Our investigation also confirmed that these cigarettes do not have an import permit,” she said.
— Bernama
