KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — The Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysian Customs Department has busted two syndicates involved in processing and bottling illicit liquor and smuggling chewing tobacco, seizing uncustomed goods worth RM2.57 million in a recent special operation
Acting KL Customs Department director Noraidah Ishak said two foreign men were also arrested during Ops Suling, conducted from May 11 to May 23.
On May 20, the operations team raided two warehouses along Jalan Wangsa Utama in Taman Wangsa Permai and seized 4,987 litres of whisky bearing counterfeit tax stamps.
“The team also found equipment believed to have been used for processing and bottling liquor, including drums containing a chemical mixture suspected to be ethanol, rolls of counterfeit customs tax stamps, packaging equipment, bottle-capping machines, and fake labels,” she said in a statement today.
The seizure was valued at RM278,531, with duties and taxes amounting to RM672,669, bringing the total value to RM951,200. Two foreign men were arrested and remanded to assist in further investigations.
Noraidah added that the syndicate was believed to have used warehouses in secluded areas, away from residential neighbourhoods, to process and bottle counterfeit liquor.
“The case is being investigated under Section 74(1)(f) of the Excise Act 1976,” she said.
In the second case, at 9pm on May 14, the department detained a 20-foot container that had been imported from a South Asian country.
Inspections uncovered 5,449kg of suspected duty-unpaid chewing tobacco products, with the seized goods estimated to be worth RM944,944, while duties and taxes amounted to RM677,551.
“The total value of the seizure in this case is estimated at RM1,622,495. The syndicate's modus operandi was to bring prohibited goods into the country in containers without a valid import licence,” Noraidah said.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for allegedly importing prohibited goods without a valid import licence.
She urged the public to help combat smuggling by providing information through the Customs toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-8855 or at the nearest customs office, adding that the identities of all informants will be kept confidential.
