KLANG: Almost RM9 million in smuggled cigarettes and cosmetic products were seized by the marine police here last Friday.
The seizure came following a tip-off received by the police on suspicious activities taking place in a warehouse in an industrial area in Taman Klang Jaya here.
Bukit Aman marine police commander Deputy Commissioner Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the intelligence unit that received the information immediately mounted an Ops Contraband.
After staking out the place, the intelligence unit from the Port Klang marine police raided the locked warehouse and searched the premises.
They found a container at the warehouse and checks showed it was loaded with hundreds of thousands of cigarette cartons and cosmetic products.
All were smuggled in and the unpaid taxes amount to more than RM5.63 million.
Yusoff said the cigarettes were of the D&J and Mild brands while the cosmetic product was a powder that did not have the necessary approvals under the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.
The raiding party found 249,500 cartons of D&J cigarettes, 14,400 cartons of Mild cigarettes and two different types of a branded cosmetic powder.
There were almost 250,000 containers of the powder.
He said the seized cigarettes were valued at RM913,720 and its unpaid taxes amounted to RM5.63 million, with a total value of RM6.54 million.
The cosmetic powder's worth is estimated to be almost RM2.5 million.
He added the total value of the products and taxes reached more than RM9 million.
Checks by the marine police on the warehouse showed that those who were present when police raided the place had probably escaped through a bathroom window as it was found open.
Mohd Yusoff said the cigarettes were seized under the Customs Act 1967 and have been handed over to the Royal Malaysian Customs department while the cosmetic powder has been given to the pharmaceutical division of Selangor Health Department for further action.
Police also seized the container and a trailer worth RM30,000 each.
Initial investigations show that a smuggling syndicate was using the warehouse as a transit point before distributing the contraband to other smaller dealers.
They are believed to have been renting the warehouse on a short-term basis as they moved the cartons to smaller lorries.
The industrial area was chosen to provide them with a good cover as it made them look like a normal warehouse distribution centre.