GEORGE TOWN – Police seized nearly 2,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes and detained a man believed to be involved in distributing the illicit goods during a raid on a house in Bagan Serai yesterday.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong said the raid was part of their Ops Kontraband and involved officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Narcotics Crime Department.
“All the cartons of cigarettes of various brands were found in the middle section of the home, and are believed to be untaxed,” Soffian told a news conference.
“All the confiscated cigarettes are estimated to be worth approximately RM275,000.”
Soffian said the suspect detained during the operation, a 62-year-old ethnic Chinese, was believed to have been paid RM3,000 a month to deliver the contraband to buyers.
The suspect will be detained for seven days till March 21 to facilitate investigations. Police are currently on the hunt for the mastermind behind the illicit business.
Soffian urged the public to report any information on the case or other illegal operations by contacting the Northern Penang district police headquarters at 04-564 1822 or PDRM Timur Laut via Facebook Messenger. – The Vibes, March 16, 2022
