A total of 8,150,000 sticks of cigarettes worth more than RM6.1 million were seized while six local individuals were arrested in special operations to weed out syndicates distributing contraband cigarettes in Johor and Negeri Sembilan on Tuesday.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said that all the suspects detained are between 21 and 49 years old.

He said that in the first raid carried out in Masai, Johor Bahru, five local men were detained for possessing a total of 4,100,000 sticks of smuggled cigarettes of various brands worth more than RM3 million.

“As a result of the investigation and additional information obtained by the police from the first raid, we have carried out a follow-up raid at the rest and service (R&R) area Seremban, Negeri Sembilan on the same day.

“Another local man, believed to be linked with the first raid, was arrested while driving a lorry carrying 4,050,000 sticks of contraband cigarettes worth more than RM3 million,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

He said that as a result of the two raids, the police also confiscated several lorries and a car with a total value of RM220,000.

Acryl Sani said the five suspects in the first raid were remanded at the Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters (IPD) for four days starting yesterday until Aug 15 while the suspects arrested in the second raid were remanded for three days until Aug 14.

According to him, the case was being investigated under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code and investigated under Section 135 (1) (e) of the Customs Act 1967.

-- BERNAMA