.jpg)
KUALA LUMPUR – Nationwide raids conducted over the last month yielded contraband cigarettes, smuggled alcohol, petrol, and wild animals worth around RM10.6 million, the Royal Malaysian Police announced today.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department (KDNK) director Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the seized items were obtained following eight raids conducted in the capital, Selangor, Pahang, and Sabah between February 26 to March 22.
Hazani said in a statement today that the first two raids involved two separate contraband cigarette distribution syndicates operating out of Klang and Kajang, with seizures amounting to 983,160 sticks of illegal cigarettes worth more than RM1.46 million.
Police also arrested one local man and seized one vehicle from these two raids.
He said a third separate raid on March 9 led to the seizure of three marmoset monkeys from a house in Subang Jaya, where a subsequent fourth raid yielded 70 birds of various colours and species.
Hazani said the animals were found in the possession of a male suspect who was arrested along with the wildlife, with seizures estimated to be worth around RM320,000.
“Also on March 9, police arrested another female suspect who was found with two blue monkeys and three leopard cats from a home in Seri Kembangan, with the wildlife said to be worth around RM240,000,” he said.
On March 16, another raid conducted in Kepong led to the arrest of a local and one Sri Lankan man after they were found in possession of 10,973 litres of contraband duty-free beers, and 1,306 litres of liquor.
The raid also yielded a vehicle said to belong to the suspects, with the confiscated items estimated to be worth RM736,658.
Hazani said the sixth raid on March 16 conducted by Bukit Aman led them to yet another contraband cigarette distribution syndicate based in Puchong, where 800,000 cigarettes of various brands worth RM1.5 million were confiscated.
The second last raid on March 17 saw the police seize another 569,880 sticks of contraband cigarettes and a vehicle from two local men who were later arrested. The seizures are estimated to be worth RM1 million.
The final raid then took place Tuesday in Semporna, Sabah, where a syndicate trafficking smuggled petrol was foiled, leading to the arrest of seven local men.
“We seized 60,200 litres of smuggled petrol, two oil tanker boats, one tugboat, and one oil tanker truck, with the haul said to be worth RM5.5 million,” Hazani said.
He added that since the turn of the year, a total of 16 raids have been conducted by his department under Ops Kontraband and Ops Bersepadu Khazanah.
In total, these operations, he said, have led to the arrest of 26 individuals, with total seizures worth RM20,065,046 to date.
“KDNK will remain committed to weeding out the smuggling of contraband, profiteering from control items, poaching of wildlife and produce of the forests, including cross-border crimes,” Hazani said. – The Vibes, March 24, 2022
