PORT KLANG: The Customs Department has intercepted a significant attempt to smuggle around 2 million sticks of cigarettes valued at RM1.54 million in duties.
Its Central Zone deputy director Norlela Ismail said the department's Unit II (Selangor) enforcement division had seized a 20-foot container at Westport, here on June 4.
"An inspection of the container revealed a quantity of cigarettes believed to be without import permits.
"Cigarettes are prohibited goods where importation or transit is allowed only with an import licence, as stipulated under Item 66, Part I, Third Schedule, Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023.
"The goods were declared as 'stretch film' in the shipping documents to avoid detection by the Customs Department," she told reporters at a press conference here today.
She said the trade value of the illicit cigarettes was estimated at RM164,600 involving a quantity of 2.058 million sticks of cigarettes.
The seizure of cigarettes was among five smuggling attempts that were busted by the Customs Department within a month which included the smuggling of bonsai trees, alcoholic beverages and electrical items.
Norlela added that investigations were still ongoing under Section 135 (1)(a) of the Customs Act for importing and storing prohibited goods.
"Offenders can be fined not less than 10 times the duty amount or RM100,000, whichever is greater, and not more than 20 times the customs duty amount or RM500,000, whichever is greater.
"Offenders can also be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than six months or not more than five years, or both," she said.
