KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Label fraud and the erasure of bar codes on tyres are among the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) main findings in their investigation, code-named Op Grip.
A source said that other findings include the sale of tyres through unauthorised distributors and the smuggling of imported tyres, which pose a risk to consumer safety.
These discoveries were the result of a comprehensive inspection carried out on 17,672 tyre units seized in raids last Monday (September 29) at six warehouses and containers involving two companies.
"The inspection was conducted jointly with technical representatives from the brands Toyo Tires, Yokohama, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Dunlop, and Maxxis, and was also joined by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and the Standards and Industrial Research Institute (Sirim).
"The purpose of the inspection was to identify the authenticity of the tyres, compliance with safety standards, and to detect sales through unauthorised channels," it told Bernama today.
The source said that, in addition to the freezing of several personal and company bank accounts with an estimated value of approximately RM70 million, various assets believed to have been acquired through money laundering activities were also seized.
They include six plots of land used as warehouse sites valued at RM4.5 million, two units of double-storey terrace houses (RM2 million), one townhouse unit (RM2 million), and one four-storey shop lot unit (RM4 million), bringing the total value of the freezing and seizures to RM82.5 million.
Meanwhile, MACC Special Operations Division senior director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin confirmed the information when contacted.
The investigation is being conducted under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001).
Last Monday, the MACC successfully uncovered activities involving the smuggling of tyres and the falsification of import and export documents, which are believed to have resulted in a tax revenue loss of approximately RM350 million for the government since 2020.
Raids were conducted on several companies involved in the tyre import business, including warehouses and tyre storage facilities, across 23 locations in the Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor.
