KOTA BARU: The state Customs Department seized six "cloned" cars and five motorcycles, both smuggled in from Singapore and Thailand, worth nearly RM600,000 in a special operation recently.
Its director Wan Jamal Abdul Salam Wan Long said the operation began on Feb 15 and ended on April 15, covering Kelantan, Selangor, Johor and Kedah.
He said three of the five motorcycles, valued nearly RM10,000, were smuggled into Kelantan via Sungai Golok.
He believed that a syndicate, with members comprising both locals and Thais, had brought in the bikes across the river using passenger boats.
The six cars and another two motorcycles, he said, were believed to have been cloned vehicles smuggled in from Singapore.
"We did not make any arrest in the operation, but we suspected all the vehicles were brought into Malaysia either by individuals or syndicate members.
"These bikes and cars have high demand from Malaysians. For the motorcycles, their local market can reach between RM7,000 to RM8,000 each, and for the cars, their prices are up to RM12,000 each," he said.
Asked whether the bikes were smuggled in from the Rantau Panjang border, Wan Jamal said the department believed the vehicles were brought in at certain jetties along Sungai Golok.
"The syndicate members will use their 'favourite' jetties to bring in the motorcycles. They will normally do so during the night," he added.
