KOTA BARU: Smugglers are now choosing pre-dawn and breaking of fast times to bring in illicit cigarettes into Malaysia.
The tactics were detected by Kelantan Customs Department during its latest operation on Monday.
State Customs director Wan Jamal Abdul Salam Wan Long said 960,000 sticks of illicit cigarettes were seized during the operation near Pantai Cahaya Bulan here.
He said the cigarettes worth more than RM700,000, including its unpaid taxes, were seized at an illegal jetty in Kampung Kijang.
However, he said no one was arrested in the operation.
"The state Customs Department managed to prevent an attempt to distribute illicit cigarettes in Kelantan with the seizure of 960,000 sticks.
"Smuggling activities were carried out via sea route about 5am yesterday. The smugglers used small boats to transport the cigarettes to the illegal jetty," he said here today.
Wan Jamal said initial investigations showed that the smugglers chose to bring in the contraband at specific times as they thought no enforcement officers were on duty.
"They think by doing the activities during 'sahur' or breaking of fast, the border area will be clear from enforcement officers, which is wrong," he added.
On the seizure, he said the department believed they would be for distribution in the state.
"We also suspected that the boat owners were hired by the smuggling syndicate to bring in the cigarettes.
"The seizure was the biggest made by the department so far this year," he added.