EAIC finds weakness in customs declaration process
PUTRAJAYA: The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) has identified weaknesses in the approval process for Customs Declaration Forms used to clear imported goods.
In a statement today, the EAIC said its investigation also found that some importers and customs agents had made declarations without adhering to the existing provisions under the Customs Standing Orders.
"The EAIC received complaints against the Customs Department alleging failure to revoke the licences of importers and agents who violated the Customs Standing Orders. Investigations were conducted under subsection 27(4) of the EAIC Act 2009 (Act 700)," the statement read.
As a result, the EAIC has recommended improvements to the Customs Department to enhance oversight and ensure stricter compliance with Customs Standing Orders by importers and customs agents.
The commission also urged the department to take firm action against any party found to be in breach of these regulations. – BERNAMA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Customs to act against agents, importers flouting rules
PUTRAJAYA: The Customs Department will not hesitate to take firm action against customs agents or importers who violate regulations or fail to exercise due diligence and ethical conduct, said acting director-general Datuk Norlela Ismail. "The department will not hesitate to act against any customs agent or importer proven to have violated the law or failed to exercise due diligence and comply with the Customs Agent Code of Ethics," Norlela said in a statement today. She said such actions could include the suspension or cancellation of approvals and import licences, prosecution under the law, or blacklisting from dealing with the department, depending on the outcome of internal investigations. Norlela welcomed the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission's (EAIC) recommendations to strengthen governance, improve oversight, and ensure stricter compliance with Customs Standing Orders by customs agents and importers. Between January 2023 and May 2025, she said the department had suspended or revoked approvals for 898 firms due to non-compliance. "The significant increase in 2025, with 758 cancellations, is the result of a nationwide compliance audit by our Customs Agent Control Unit across Malaysia," she added. On import licences involving cigarettes, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages, a total of 21 were cancelled or suspended over the same period for breaches of licensing conditions. "All enforcement actions are conducted with due care and in accordance with legal provisions to ensure that the rights of legitimate licence holders are protected," Norlela said. The public is urged to report smuggling activities via the Customs toll-free line 1-800-88-8855. The department has assured that whistleblowers' identities will remain confidential. On Tuesday, the EAIC said it had identified weaknesses in the approval process for Customs Declaration Forms used to clear imported goods. The commission also found that some importers and customs agents had made declarations without adhering to the existing provisions under the Customs Standing Orders. As a result, the EAIC has recommended improvements to the Customs Department to enhance oversight and ensure stricter compliance with Customs Standing Orders by importers and customs agents.
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Customs seizes near RM10mil in vapes and liquid
BUTTERWORTH: More than 80,000 vapes and almost 1000litre of vapes liquid worth RM5.1mil have been seized by the Customs Department in separate raids in Penang and Selangor. Penang Customs Department director Rohaizad Ali said all the seized items were believed to have been brought into the country from China for the local market. "In the first raid at North Butterworth Container Terminal around 1.15pm on April 3, Customs seized 14,200 unit of vapes and 220-litre of vapes liquid worth about RM1.5mil including tax," he told a press conference at the Bagan Jermal Enforcement Storage Facility on Thursday. He said further checks on the container revealed that the items had been declared as plastic material along with other imported merchandise. He said two men, a port agent and a Chinese national in their 30s, were detained during the raid. He said the Chinese national admitted to owning the container which held other imported items. Rohaizad said that in the second raid conducted at Port Klang, Customs confiscated 71,886 vape units and 786-litre of vape liquid and electronic gels around 11am on April 10. "The seized items were worth about RM4.64mil inclusive of taxes," he added. He said both cases are being investigated under Section 133(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
RM1.8mil in ganja buds seized in Penang
BUTTERWORTH: The Customs Department seized more than 18kg of ganja buds worth some RM1.8mil in separate operations in Penang. Its state director Rohaizad Ali said in an operation on April 16, a team from the Customs Narcotic Unit conducted checks on parcels at the Mail Courier Centre of Pos Malaysia in Batu Kawan around 1pm. "An inspection, with the assistance of a narcotics detection dog, led to the discovery of four packages containing dried plant material believed to be ganja buds," he told a press conference at the Bagan Jermal Enforcement Storage Facility on Thursday. He said the seized drugs weighed slightly over 2.2kg and were valued at RM219,128. The parcels had been declared as containing nine units of "comic book" and were exported to the United Kingdom before being returned with the status of a "returned parcel", he added. He said investigations are ongoing to identify the owner of the parcels. In another operation at Penang International Airport around 11.35am on March 4, a team of officers discovered a piece of suspicious baggage at the baggage carousel. Rohaizad said checks found that the unclaimed baggage contained 29 transparent packs of dried plant believed to be ganja buds. The drugs weighing about 16.2kg and worth some RM1.5mil, he said. He said further investigations found the baggage had arrived from China. He said Customs believe the drugs were smuggled through a private baggage that had been checked in before departure. He said both cases are being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment with not less than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction. He urged members of the public with information on smuggling activities involving cigarettes, liquor, firecrackers, drugs or vehicles to contact the Customs Toll Free Line at 1-800-88-8855 or reach out to any nearby customs office.
