SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan Royal Customs Department has crippled an attempt to smuggle 10,200 cartons of Modeng cigarette valued at Rm163,200 involving tax amounting to one million ringgit. Its director Abdullah Jaapar said the seizure was made at Km265 North South Expressway north-bound last Thursday following a surveillance of the enforcement team.
“The three-officer team tailed the three-tonne lorry at 5.05pm, after a 5km chase we managed to stop the lorry and arrested a man. “It is believed that the cigarettes were smuggled from neighbour country as initial investigation revealed that the cigarettes did not have any tax stamp and was packaged without the health warnings required by Health Ministry,” he told a press conference at state headquarters here today. Abdullah said it was believed that the suspect planned to transport the smuggled cigarette to Klang Valley.
He said the case was being investigated under Section 135 (1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967 for transporting uncustomed goods Meanwhile, Abdullah said the department had busted 169 cases between January and July this year valued over RM4 million involving tax amounting to RM11 million. He added of the total, RM252 million compound imposed on 43 cases and 33 cases had brought to court.
