PORT KLANG, Aug 14 — The Selangor Royal Malaysian Customs Department has foiled attempts to smuggle various commercial goods and commodities by seizing 63 containers worth RM42.99 million, including duties and taxes, in four separate raids.
State Customs director Noraidah Ishak said the largest seizure involved four 40-foot containers containing 48.78 million sticks of white cigarettes worth RM37.56 million, including duties and taxes amounting to RM33.65 million.
“An inspection of the transhipment containers originating from an Asian country on June 3 and June 10 found that the company had failed to make any declaration in the manifest in an attempt to evade detection by the authorities.
“Firm action was also taken in the second-largest case, involving the detention of 57 containers carrying 1,190 tonnes of scrap metal and plastic worth RM4.96 million, including duties and taxes amounting to RM827,789,” she said during a media conference at the Customs North Port building today.
Noraidah added that the seizure involved 13 containers carrying 351.18 metric tonnes of scrap metal worth RM1.79 million, as well as 44 containers containing 841.55 metric tonnes of scrap plastic worth RM2.34 million, which were suspected of not having valid import permits from the Malaysian Industrial Standards and Research Institute.
The case's modus operandi involved making false declarations in Customs Form No. 1, describing the goods as moulds, ABA flakes, aluminium material, PS flakes, copper concentrate, and crushed PP plastic.
“Additionally, the Selangor Customs seized 1,578.43 litres of various types of alcoholic beverages worth RM409,917, including duties and taxes amounting to RM160,037, which were concealed behind used vehicle spare parts to avoid inspection.
“In the fourth case, the authorities seized a container carrying 1,240 units of sex toys worth RM52,500, which had been falsely declared as chairs, waist bags, drinking bottles, and underwear,” she said.
The goods were classified as absolutely prohibited items brought in from an Asian country and were detected by enforcement personnel during a physical inspection at North Port.
All the cases involving alcoholic beverages, sex toys, scrap metal, and plastic are being investigated under Sections 135(1)(a) and 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967, while the cigarette case is being investigated under Section 52(1) of the same Act.
“Further investigations are still underway to identify the masterminds, forwarding agents and actual owners of all the containers involved before legal action is taken,” Noraidah said.
She urged the public to report information on smuggling activities via the Customs toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-8855 or by visiting any nearby Customs office, assuring that the identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential.
