KUCHING: The Enforcement Division of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in Sarawak has seized smuggled goods worth RM371,761.47 with a tax value of RM2,549,646.67 in 26 cases in the state so far this year.
For the whole of last year, the department had seized goods worth RM6,953,268.89 with a tax value of RM8,870,939.11.
State Customs Department director Datin Dayang Fatimah Johari said in a press statement today that during the period up to Jan 25, the enforcement division handled 669 cases of various offences under the Customs Act 1967.
The statement was issued after Dayang Fatimah delivered the message of the Director-General of Customs at Wisma Kastam here in conjunction with the 33rd World Customs Day.
She said the number of cases dropped by 10.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
“Although the number of cases dropped, the value and taxes of goods seized increased by 43 per cent compared to 2013 and by 14.05 per cent compared to last year.
Dayang Fatimah said that among the items seized last year were cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, fireworks and vehicles.
She said that in terms of value, vehicles were the main commodities seized last year, worth RM1,602,965.50 with a tax value of RM1,436,502.28, followed by cigarettes worth RM609,100.22 with a tax value of RM5,765,482.61.
The third biggest commodity was alcoholic drinks, with seizures worth RM428,612.07 with a tax value of RM1,439,784.59 while the fireworks were worth RM162,840.41 with a tax value of RM106,001.53.
Dayang Fatimah said enforcement operations along the borders were stepped up during the festive seasons.
“As an enforcement body, the Customs Department also plays a role in controlling the entry points along the borders to ensure that prohibited goods are not brought into the country. Border controls are carried out to ensure that subsidised goods such as cooking oil, sugar, and gas in cylinders are not smuggled out of the country,” she said.
She added that throughout 2014, the department seized goods worth RM82,928.88 with a tax value of RM78,309.47 at the Tebedu customs, immigration and quarantine post on the Sarawak-West Kalimantan border.
Among the major items seized were fireworks, cigarettes and batik cloth, she said.
She said much of the department’s success resulted from ongoing joint anti-smuggling measures such as the Outlet Operations, land patrols, roadblocks and intensive checks conducted on containers at the ports.
She said smuggling was more rampant during the period just before major festivals as the demand for smuggled goods rose then.
The enforcement division in Sarawak had intensified efforts to cut off supply of smuggled goods by carrying out the Festival Operations throughout the state for a month, from Jan 19 to Feb 18.