PETALING JAYA, Jan 23 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) seized 466.16 million sticks of cigarettes with taxes worth RM344.95 million last year.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Paddy Abd Halim said the number was down from 843.89 million sticks with taxes worth RM624.4 million which were seized in 2018.

“For 2020 until yesterday, 23.97 million sticks of cigarettes with taxes worth RM17.37 million had been seized,” he told a media conference after the 38th World Customs Day Celebration at the Kelana Jaya Customs Complex here today.

He said more operations would be conducted to eradicate the smugglings of cigarettes and other commodities.

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On enforcement cases, he said 5,633 cases were recorded in 2019 involving various commodities with taxes worth over RM1.9 billion.

Meanwhile, in the first two weeks of this year, Paddy said 68 cases were recorded involving taxes over RM49.72 million. — Bernama