KUCHING: The Sarawak Customs Department foiled an attempt to smuggle in contraband cigarettes and beer worth RM870,840, with a tax value of RM8.2 million, in an operation at the Senari Port here on Wednesday.
Its director, Ahmad Jii, said the items, which had been declared as “clothing and jewellery items,” were recovered from three containers.
A total of 1,106 cigarettes and 5,800 crates of beer of different brands were seized during the operation.
Ahmad said an investigation revealed that the containers, which arrived from Singapore, have no permit or duty rates.
“The items were being delivered to an ‘unknown’ company here.
“However, based on a public tip-off and investigations by the department, the attempt to smuggle in the items was thwarted,” he told the reporters at the department’s enforcement store at Jalan Demak Laut here today.
Ahmad added that no arrests have been made so far, and that the case is being investigated under Section 135 (1) (a) of the Customs Act 1967.