JOHOR BARU: The Johor Customs Department busted three beer and liquor smuggling attempts worth more than RM20 million (including duties and tax) at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Gelang Patah here between April 17 and 22.
Customs director-general Datuk T. Subromaniam said the seizure was through the initiative of customs intelligence after finding smuggling syndicates abusing the free trade zone to smuggle contraband goods like beer and liquor.
“In the first raid on April 17, customs found 14 containers loaded with beer and liquor without import license at the port while in the second raid on April 20, customs seized 44,000 crates of beer and whisky found at two godown at the port,” he told reporters.
Subromaniam said in the third raid on April 22, customs found 115,200 cans of contraband beer after inspecting two container lorries at the port while the drivers of both vehicles were remanded for four days to assist investigations.
He said all cases were investigated under Section 135 (1) and Section 135 (1) (e) of the Customs Act 1967 for being involved in importing and transporting prohibited items.
According to Subromaniam, the modus operandi of the syndicate was to bring in the goods into the free trade zone before being brought out without going through the Customs approval process.
As a result of such syndicates, the government lost millions in duty and tax each year, he said.
To combat the issue, the government had been enforcing the Customs (Prohibition on Imports) Order 2017 which would require importers to produce their import licence when declaring to Customs starting April 1, said Subromaniam.
“Under the new Customs Order, import licence is required for goods such as cigarettes and liquors imported into the country or when the goods are in transit,” he said.
