Sabah Customs seizes contraband cigarettes worth almost RM2 million

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Royal Malaysian Customs Department has seized 100,500 packets of smuggled cigarettes of various brands worth over RM1.99 million in a raid in Jalan Lama Penampang-Papar, off the Pan Borneo Highway, near here.

State Zone Customs assistant director-general Cheong Yu Min said acting on public information, its Kota Kinabalu Enforcement Division detained a three-tonne lorry in the operation at 3.40 pm last Saturday.

Two men, aged 26 and 62, were also arrested.

"On inspection, we found 100,500 packets of contraband cigarettes worth RM139,100, with unpaid duty and tax amounting to RM1.86 million. The RM25,000 lorry was confiscated.

"The modus operandi was to transport the contraband goods using a three-tonne bonded truck to fool the authorities," he said at a press conference here today.

Cheong said the smuggled cigarettes were believed to be for the local market here and probably other districts.

-- BERNAMA