KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Customs uncovered a cigarette smuggling activity fronting under the name of a company that did not exist following the discovery of a van packed with cigarettes at km 44, Kampung Jambu Bongkok, Marang, last night.
Its Deputy Director, Radzi Muhamad said in an operation conducted at 6.30 am, they had seized 4,020 cartons of cigarettes of various brands worth RM67,535 that were allegedly smuggled. However, Radzi said the van driver managed to escape. “Investigations revealed that the company address displayed on the van was non-existent and had not been registered.
“Further investigations revealed that the van which had been registered in Selangor, was believed to have smuggled the cigarettes from the neighbouring country, involving tax worth RM500,000,” he told reporters here, today.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the state’s customs had detained a shop-owner, 47, and seized smuggled cigarettes worth RM1,600 in a raid carried out in Setiu, on Tuesday. Radzi said during the raid that was conducted at 5 pm, they found 94 cartons of cigarettes involving tax worth RM10,420 that was hidden in the kitchen.
“The shop-owner failed to prove that the cigarettes had been approved by the customs as he did not possess any supporting documents, and was remanded for nine days to facilitate investigations,” he said.
