KLANG, March 12 — The Malaysian Royal Customs Department foiled an attempt to smuggle firecrackers, shisha flavours, and chewing tobacco, worth RM1.54 million, through separate raids in Selangor last month.
Selangor Customs Department director Mohamad Azhar Ahmad Paharazi said that during an inspection of a container in a warehouse in the Puncak Alam area on January 12, a consignment of firecrackers worth RM266,319 was found.
"The importation of firecrackers and fireworks is subject to import permits issued by the Home Ministry and the Royal Malaysia Police as stipulated under Item 46, Part I, Schedule Three, Customs (Prohibition on Import) Order 2023," he said during a media conference today.
Azhar added that during an inspection on January 26 conducted in collaboration with the department's Port Klang headquarters' Narcotics Unit, 13.17 tonnes of firecrackers worth RM279,588 were found. The consignment had been falsely declared as party decorations, believed to be for export to a country in Asia.
Meanwhile, an inspection of a container on January 13 at Port Klang found 2.8 tonnes of shisha flavours, valued at RM434,016, believed to have been imported without a valid permit.
The authorities also seized 3.9 tonnes of chewing tobacco, worth RM566,816, that lacked an import permit at Port Klang’s Northport.
The cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) and Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
