PUTRAJAYA – A liquor-smuggling syndicate with a store in Balakong, Selangor was successfully crippled by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) in an operation on November 24.
In the operation which began at 3 pm, the enforcement team in collaboration with the Customs Narcotic Branch stopped a one tonne lorry in Balakong for allegedly transporting contraband liquor.
Customs director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said checks on the vehicle found 1,920 bottles of liquor worth RM13,000 with unpaid tax amounting to RM14,000, which led to the arrest of the lorry driver and his attendant.
About half an hour later, another one-tonne lorry was detained nearby leading to the discovery of 3,528 bottles of liquor worth RM21,000 including unpaid tax and detained the driver and lorry attendant.
Upon questioning, a store in the area was raided at about 5pm where the enforcement team found 27,000 cans of liquor of various brands worth RM79,000 with tax estimated at RM346,000, he told a press conference here today.
“No arrest was made at the store. Further investigations are underway to identify the store owner,” he added.
On the same day, Abdul Latif said they found 4,800 canned alcoholic beverages worth RM10,000 with tax estimated at RM67,000 in the back of a van left in the Seri Kembangan area at about noon, and detained the van owner.
He said in total, the department seized alcoholic beverages worth RM110,000 with unpaid duties amounting to RM448,000 in the operation.
“Three vehicles worth RM150,000 were confiscated and all the five men detained have been released on bail,” he said, adding the case was being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967.
Meanwhile, Abdul Latif said the department is tracking a syndicate that brought in, produced and marketed contraband cigarettes, which was aimed at selling to teenagers.
He said initial investigations found that the syndicate would repack 20-stick cigarette packs to five sticks, so that it would be easier to sell.
“We detected one case at Melaka recently but the amount seized was too small,” he added.
Yesterday the media reported that cartels smuggling cigarettes were now increasingly aggressive in producing and marketing cigarettes in packs of five sticks at prices as low as RM2 per box by targeting teenagers and the B40 group. – Bernama, December 2, 2020
