KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Police arrested three men and seized 5,111 cartons of various brands of cigarettes, believed to involve RM1.281 million in unpaid customs duties, in a raid under Op Taring Alpha 1 on a house in Taman Sri Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, yesterday.

The Internal Security and Public Order Department’s Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Intelligence Investigation (WCB/PSK) commander, Datuk Mohd Zaki Ashar, said the suspects, a supervisor and two workers, were aged between 34 and 43.

“The operation has successfully crippled the syndicate involved in the storage, distribution and sale of uncustomed cigarettes around the Klang Valley and abroad,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Zaki said the cigarettes were found throughout the house, including the living room, bedrooms and storage areas.

He added that the suspects and seized items had been handed over to the investigating officer from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Serdang Police Headquarters, and that the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. — Bernama