Police seize three containers of duty-unpaid cigarettes, beer worth RM20 million

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Zainal Abidin Kassim said the seizure was the biggest this year for the Central Brigade of the General Operations Force.

He said the raids were conducted following a two-month intelligence work.

"In the first raid at 4.13 pm yesterday, two container lorries were stopped on a road in Section 33, Shah Alam, and upon inspection, 87,150 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found. Both lorry drivers, aged 29 and 35, were arrested.

"The unpaid tax of the seized cigarettes is estimated at RM12 million," he told a press conference here today.

Zainal Abidin said investigation on the lorry drivers led the police to a warehouse in Kapar, Klang, at 5.18 pm the same day where another container lorry laden with 1,295 boxes of beer worth RM1.4 million with unpaid tax of RM1.4 million were found and seized.

"The lorry driver, aged 34, was also arrested.

"The entire seizure during the two raids, including two lorries, three containers and three mobile phones is estimated at over RM20 million," he said.

He said the initial investigation revealed that the three drivers received RM100 to RM200 to deliver the items within the Klang Valley and up to RM300 to other destinations.

"They claimed that they did not know who hired them to make the delivery," he said, adding that further investigations were being done to track down the mastermind of the syndicate.