PORT KLANG, Dec 15 — The Selangor Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has foiled attempts to smuggle four types of commodities — cigarettes, vehicles, steel coils and liquor — worth RM26.24 million, inclusive of duties and taxes.
Selangor JKDM director Mohamad Azhar Ahmad Paharazi said the confiscations were made under Operation Fortex Trident, which was conducted around Port Klang and Shah Alam from October to early November this year.
He said during raids at the Westport Free Zone here on October 29 and November 4, the department seized more than 28.8 million sticks of white cigarettes from three 40-foot transshipment containers that had been falsely declared as garments.
“Inspection of the first container found 10 million sticks of white cigarettes declared as clothing, while inspections of the second and third containers uncovered 18.81 million sticks of white cigarettes.
“The estimated value of the 28.81 million sticks of white cigarettes is RM3,705,200, with duties and taxes amounting to RM19,798,940,” he said in a press conference at the Northport JKDM office here today.
In cases involving imported vehicles, Azhar said three petrol-powered vehicles and two electric vehicles (EVs), with a total value of RM1.02 million, were seized in two raids in Port Klang and the Port Klang Free Zone warehouse on October 17 and 25.
The vehicles were found to have been stored beyond the permitted storage period in licensed warehouses, with duties and taxes unpaid.
He said the three luxury vehicles seized, including a BMW and Porsche, were used cars, while the EVs were new models believed to have been imported without import permits issued by the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI).
“The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for concealing, storing or harbouring uncustomed or prohibited goods, while the EV case is investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the same act for importing prohibited goods,” he said.
Azhar said the same operation also led to the seizure of 28 steel coils weighing 108,874kg from four 20-foot containers at the Northport Free Zone here on October 22.
Investigations found that the commodities were imported without import permits from MITI and were subject to anti-dumping duties of 52.1 per cent, with the total value of the seizure amounting to RM909,642, including taxes and anti-dumping duties.
Meanwhile, in the same operation, JKDM also seized various alcoholic beverages worth RM807,646, including duties and taxes, following raids and inspections at a duty-free shop, a free zone warehouse and a premise in Shah Alam.
Azhar said the first raid at a duty-free shop in Westport on October 30 uncovered 1,573.4 litres of various types of alcoholic beverages with unpaid duties and taxes. The shop’s licence was also found to have expired.
“The second raid on October 14 and November 4 at a free zone warehouse in Northport uncovered 16 pallets of wooden crates containing 2,562 litres of various types of alcoholic beverages that were falsely declared as salad dressing and stools,” he said.
He also said a subsequent raid of a retail shop in Shah Alam uncovered 752.11 litres of alcoholic beverages believed to have been imported without an import permit.
“All three cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for importing prohibited goods without an import permit,” Azhar added.
