Perlis Customs seizes untaxed ciggies, liquor, arrests senior citizen

New Straits Times

28-05-2025

PADANG BESAR: Perlis Customs seized untaxed cigarettes and liquor worth over RM34,000, with unpaid duties exceeding RM70,000, in two separate raids in Taiping, Perak and Sungai Petani, Kedah over the weekend.
The contraband was found stored in residential homes repurposed as makeshift warehouses.
During one of the operations, a 60-year-old man believed to be the mastermind behind the illegal activity was arrested. Officers also seized three vehicles allegedly used to transport the untaxed goods.
State Customs director Ismail Hashim said the first raid was conducted at 2.15am on May 17 following a tip-off about suspicious activities at the suspect's residence.
"We found three cars parked outside the house. Upon inspection, 24,210 sticks of undeclared cigarettes and 113.25 litres of liquor were found in the boot of the vehicles," he said.
The suspect, a trader, allegedly confessed to running the smuggling operation from his home for the past year. Authorities believe the goods were sourced from the Klang Valley.
"The seized cigarettes include cigarettes from Indonesia and Germany. They were believed to be intended for distribution around Taiping," he said.
In the second raid at about 1.30pm the same day, officers stormed a vacant house in Bukit Banyan, Sungai Petani and found 73,040 sticks of cigarettes worth RM50,563.80 hidden in a living room.
"Although the two cases are not directly linked, we believe the modus operandi is similar, using cars or vacant premises as storage sites before distributing the items around Taiping and Sungai Petani," Ismail said.
He added that the cigarettes and liquor found in the vehicles during the first raid appeared to have been recently acquired from suppliers.
In total, 97,250 sticks of cigarettes worth RM33,258 were seized, involving unpaid duties estimated at RM67,510.80. The 113.25 litres of liquor were valued at RM1,489.52, with duties totalling RM2,734.41.
"All three vehicles, believed to belong to the suspect, were also seized. Each is estimated to be worth around RM10,000," Ismail said.
Cigarettes and liquor are restricted items and subject to import permits issued by the Customs Director-General under Items 1 and 3, Schedule III, Part II of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. If convicted, the offender may be fined not less than 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000, whichever is higher, and not more than 20 times the value or RM500,000, or face imprisonment of between six months and five years, or both.