
Penang customs seize RM2.67m in smuggled cigarettes and liquor
State Customs director Rohaizad Ali said in the first case, its enforcement officers detained two suspects after inspecting a lorry parked at a Bukit Mertajam residential area car park on May 6.
'We detained two men, in their 20s and 30s, who were found not far from the parked lorry. They were the driver and assistant of the vehicle. Further checks of the lorry uncovered white and kretek cigarettes suspected to be untaxed.
'The seized cigarettes amounted to 1.32 million sticks, valued at RM431,504, with total unpaid duties estimated at RM1.34 million. Investigations found that all the cigarettes were smuggled in from a neighbouring country to be distributed in northern states,' he said at a press conference here today.
He said investigations revealed that the syndicate's modus operandi involved abandoning lorries loaded with smuggled cigarettes in public parking areas to evade detection by authorities.
Rohaizad added that investigations are ongoing to trace the cigarette smuggling syndicate, which is believed to have an international network.
Meanwhile, in a second case, the Customs team raided a house in a Butterworth residential area on May 9, seizing various alcoholic beverages valued at RM236,737.20, with total unpaid duties amounting to RM663,027.03.
'During the raid, the house was locked and unoccupied. Our team broke down the door and discovered a variety of alcoholic beverages, including 15,288 cans of beer and 13,820 bottles of liquor stored in the residence,' he said.
He added that the homeowner claimed to have rented the property to an individual, and customs officers are tracking down the suspect involved in the case.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Selangor customs seizes RM9.17m scrap metal at Port Klang Free Zone
KLANG: The Selangor Customs Department has intercepted an illegal shipment of 1,964 tonnes of scrap metal valued at RM9.17 million after confiscating 83 containers at the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ). Selangor Customs director Mohamad Azhar Ahmad Paharazi stated that the seizure was made following joint inspections with the National Targeting Centre (NTC) over two months starting in May. Initial investigations indicated the metals were imported without permits from various countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, likely for domestic use. 'The goods were falsely declared as aluminium alloy, raw aluminium, computer components, and precious metals in the Manifest and Customs Form 1. Importing scrap metal requires permits from SIRIM under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023,' he said during a press conference at Wisma Kastam, Pulau Indah. In a separate case, Mohamad Azhar revealed that eight 20-foot containers carrying 221.7 tonnes of steel coils worth RM1.29 million were also seized at PKFZ. The shipment, declared as furniture and mattresses, was found to contain Prime Pre-Painted Steel Coils imported without permits. 'The goods are subject to anti-dumping duties of 52.1 per cent under the Customs (Anti-Dumping Duty) Order 2021. A total of 62 coils valued at RM769,434 were seized, with duties and taxes amounting to RM516,290. Investigations are ongoing,' he added. From May to early July, Selangor Customs also prevented smuggling attempts involving other goods worth RM4.37 million, including duties and taxes, at West and North Port Free Zones. - Bernama


New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Kejara overhaul
THE word "Kejara" in the Kejara Demerit System is an abbreviation of "Sistem Kekompetenan Jalan Raya", or the Road Safety Competency System. First implemented in 1987, Kejara is prescribed to traffic offenders: the more points accumulated through traffic violations, the closer they are to a suspension or revocation of their driving licence. For instance, the highest 15 demerit points are slapped on motorists who drive while intoxicated or high on drugs, those who refuse to provide breath, blood or urine samples as ordered, those who drive dangerously or inconsiderately and those who race illegally. If a motorist knocks down a person or is caught speeding, it's 10 points, so is failure to display vehicle identification at an easily-accessible place. It's eight points if motorists drive carelessly or fail to move aside for emergency services like ambulance, firefighters, police as well as Customs or Road Transport Department vehicles with their sirens on. It's five points if you drive with wornout tyres, enter a no-entry street or overtake at a double line. All in all, these are examples of the typical bad behaviour of Malaysian drivers. If drivers accumulate 15 or more points, they are issued a show-cause notice that must be responded to within 14 days. Further accumulation will lead to driving licence suspension of between six and 12 months, but a third offence will incur a driving licence ban for five years. After almost 40 years of enforcement, Kejara is a failure, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke. The RTD is finalising the proposed changes, but they realise that they have to rectify a major flaw first. The RTD has to circumvent a loophole where points are deducted only after compounds are paid or offenders charged in court, not when the summons was first issued. This allowed drivers to delay or avoid penalties by not paying fines. The overhauled Kejara could correct this dysfunction: demerit points being imposed regardless of whether a summons is paid to enforce effective and prompt penalties. However, arising legal complexities and the intervention of the Attorney-General's Chambers have delayed implementation. This remains true: Kejara's weaknesses are linked to poor driving and high road accidents, especially after it was temporarily discontinued in the past. It doesn't have to be. Similar systems in European Union nations recorded more seatbelt use, reduction in road fatalities and risky driving behaviour. China and the United Arab Emirates saw fewer traffic light offences, while Kuwait recorded a 15 per cent reduction in traffic injuries. Canada registered more cautious driving, while the United States showed improved compliance and less repeat offences. Demerit points lead to fewer crashes and fatalities with sustained enforcement, but only if redesigned as an immediate, integrated and smart system that punishes offences in real time. Add enforcement with education, transparency and community participation and Kejara could return from a failed system to a tool of accident prevention and road discipline.


New Straits Times
6 days ago
- New Straits Times
Johor Customs foils 2 syndicates' bid to smuggle in drugs by courier, sea
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Customs Department busted two unrelated syndicates' attempt to smuggle 3.8kg of cannabis worth about RM121,000 into the country using courier services and coastal routes. In the first case, Customs officers arrested a man suspected of distributing cannabis via courier services in Pekan Nenas, Pontian, on May 21. They found two suspicious parcels, which upon inspection revealed compressed plant material believed to be cannabis weighing 130g and 97g each. A raid on premises linked to the suspect led to the discovery of a black bag containing 55g of what is suspected to be cannabis, three glass bongs and a grinder. The total seizure, including a motorcycle valued at RM10,000, amounted to RM22,860. Johor Customs director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said in the second case on June 5, Customs officers from the Batu Pahat marine unit launched a night raid at a mangrove swamp near the Batu Pahat ferry terminal. "With intelligence gathered from surveillance, officers intercepted an unregistered boat. "On the boat, they found a bag containing three tightly packed blocks of suspected cannabis, disguised in Chinese tea packaging. "The drugs weighed 3.063kg and are worth about RM98,016. The boat, worth RM4,000, was also seized. "The syndicate's modus operandi is to use unregistered boats and back routes to avoid detection of contraband smuggling," he said today. He urged the public to support the department's efforts to fight smuggling, which he said not only caused revenue loss for the government, but also endangered national security and public wellbeing.