Malaysian Customs Busts Four Smuggling Rings, Seizes Over RM800,000 in Contraband

Malaysian customs authorities have successfully dismantled four cigarette smuggling operations across Terengganu and Kelantan, seizing contraband valued at over RM800,000. The operations, conducted between April and May, also led to the confiscation of vehicles suspected of being used in the illicit trade.

Hasbollah Din, Director of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) for Terengganu, stated that the total seizure included 944,736 cigarettes of various brands, worth RM148,552, with an estimated RM659,165 in duties and taxes involved. He noted that the syndicates employed diverse tactics to distribute the smuggled cigarettes in the local market and evade detection.

The largest seizure occurred on April 20 at an abandoned construction site in Besut, where enforcement officers discovered 400,000 untaxed cigarettes valued at RM321,200, including duties and taxes. Another significant raid on May 3 in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, yielded 334,736 white and kretek cigarettes, with a total seizure value of RM294,898.

In Wakaf Bharu, Kelantan, on April 25, officers intercepted a vehicle suspected of transporting smuggled cigarettes from the Kelantan River bank. The driver fled, crashing through a roadblock and abandoning the vehicle. This operation resulted in the seizure of 200,000 untaxed cigarettes, with a total value including duties and taxes of RM182,600.

Authorities also arrested two men in Besut on April 16 for allegedly distributing 10,000 untaxed cigarettes to a business premises. Investigations revealed that the syndicates used various locations, including residential premises, cabins at abandoned construction sites, and vehicles, as temporary storage before distributing the cigarettes locally. The cases are being investigated under Sections 135(1)(d) and 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967, which carry severe penalties including substantial fines and imprisonment.