JOHOR BARU, May 20 — The Johor Customs Department and the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) busted an attempt to smuggle out to a neighbouring country more than RM60,000 worth of contraband cigarettes hidden inside fish containers at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Gelang Patah earlier this month.
It is understood that enforcement officers from both agencies were alerted to the elaborate ploy through the number of permit applications that exceeded the total weight of fish, as well as the capacity of fish barrels, before uncovering the cigarettes on May 3.
Johor Customs Department director Sazali Mohamad said that in the 6.20pm incident, enforcement officers found thousands of boxes containing 257,400 untaxed white cigarettes estimated to be worth RM61,776 after an inspection was carried out on a three-tonne lorry carrying 12 barrels of fish.
He said the smuggling activity was initially detected through an inspection operation carried out by Maqis officers.
“The syndicate smuggling out the cigarettes is believed to have used the export of fresh fish as a front to avoid detection by authorities.
“The modus operandi of the syndicate is to hide the contraband cigarettes under piles of fresh fish, namely jenahak and ikan merah in the barrels while sending the fish to neighbouring countries,” said Sazali during a media conference in Menara Kastam here today.
Sazali explained that an operation was carried out after the quantity of exported fish in the barrels had raised doubts.
He said the number or quantity of permits applied for with the weight of fish as well as the number of barrels being used did not tally.
“Following logic, the fish barrel used can hold about 1.3 tonnes, but the permit applied for is only for 700kg,” he said.
Sazali believed that this was the first time that a smuggling syndicate has employed such a method in order to escape detection.
“The usual tactics used by cigarette smuggling syndicates were to hide the contraband items in concrete piles or hidden inside furniture or wooden doors,” he said.
Sazali said that initial investigations revealed that the lorry driver and his assistant, aged 30 and 60 respectively, did not know about the presence of the contraband cigarettes they were transporting.
He said both had cooperated with investigators after they were arrested. The men were later released on bail of RM20,000 each.
“We are investigating a Kulai-based exporting company and also its shipping agent as further action,” said Sazali.
The case is being investigated under Section 135 (1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 together with Section 139 under the same Act that is categorised as an attempt to export prohibited goods without approval.
