KOTA BARU: An Orang Asli man and an Indian national were among six people detained by the state Customs Department for possessing smuggled cigarettes and alcoholic drinks recently.
The cigarettes and alcoholic drinks worth about RM176,000 including their unpaid duties, were seized in Gua Musang.
Speaking to a Press conference here today, state Customs director Wan Jamal Abdul Salam Wan Long said the six were arrested in series of operations in Lojing, Cameron Highlands and Pulai areas, all in Gua Musang.
He added the three-day operation began on Dec 11 and ended Dec 13.
"The operations were carried out based on public tip-offs on the sale of smuggled cigarettes and other illegal items.
"During the raids at eight premises, we have nabbed six people, all sundry shop owners and seized 165,000 sticks of various types of cigarettes and alcoholic drinks (279.26 litres).
"Also seized was a car which was used by one of the suspects to transport the illegal items," he said.
Wan Jamal said initial investigations showed that the items were smuggled to Gua Musang district from other states.
"We believed the high demand for the cigarettes and the alcoholic drinks, both packed in bottles and cans, from foreigners working in Gua Musang prompted the six suspects to bring in the illegal items to Kelantan," he added.
He said the six have been remanded to assist investigations into the case.