KOTA BARU: A brand of illicit cigarettes is highly popular among the low-income groups, labourers and foreign plantation workers in Kelantan.
Kelantan Customs Department director Wan Jamal Abdul Salam Wan Long said these illicit cigarettes are smuggled along the Kelantan-Thailand border.
"It is affordable among these groups of people as its price is among the cheapest .
"It is priced between RM8 to RM9 per pack and mostly available in sundry shops in villages and plantations," he said.
Wan Jamal said the illicit cigarettes were nornally brought to Malaysia from a neighbouring country via the many illegal jetties along the border and sea route.
"Smugglers will use these routes to bring in illicit cigarettes to avoid from being arrested by Malaysian authorities," he added.
On the seizure made by the department, Wan Jamal said about RM3.7 million worth of illicit cigarettes were seized in the first five months of this year.
"From January to May, the state Customs department seized 4.45 million sticks of illicit cigarettes.
"Compared to the same period last year, the number of illicit cigarettes seized in the five-month period has dropped by more than 70 per cent.
"Last year, we seized about RM13 million worth of these items involving around 16.6 million sticks of cigarettes."
