PETALING JAYA, June 19 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has seized nine containers filled with 165,000 litres of liquor estimated at RM5.6 million including taxes, suspected to involve a smuggling syndicate at Northport, Port Klang on June 12.

Central Zone Customs assistant director-general Datuk Zulkarnain Mohamed Yusuf said as the result of an inspection mounted on the containers, they discovered various types of liquor, believed to be without customs approval.

"This seizure also brings to light the latest modus operandi by the syndicate, believed to be involving foreign nationals who obtain the help of shipping agents,” he said at a media conference held at the Central Zone Customs Department in Kelana Jaya, here, today.

Zulkarnain said the shipping agent was found to be in cahoots with the syndicate by manipulating system data at the port to deceive Customs.

"They hacked the password of customs officers to the port’s system to change the status of the containers that were put on hold to ‘release’ them,” he said.

Hence, he said the Customs Department has identified the shipping agent involved and further actions are being implemented to trace other shipping agents to assist in the investigation.

Zulkarnain said the case is being conducted under the Customs Act 1967 and Excise Act 1976. — Bernama