MIRI: The Sarawak Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has seized a 20-foot container loaded with 1,091,600 cigarettes of various brands, with an estimated duty and tax value of RM842,212.40 here.
The discovery was made on Wednesday, (Aug 14), around 11.30 am, during a routine inspection conducted by a team from the Miri Land Operations Unit.
The team was patrolling around the Eastwood Industrial area when they came across the container, which was locked and abandoned in an open area next to the Sesco Substation (Eastwood Valley No. 5), located at Jalan Lorong Usahawan 15.
Despite a thorough search, the owner of the goods could not be identified, and inquiries with local residents revealed that they were unaware of the container’s presence.
After waiting for nearly an hour with no one coming forward to claim the container, the team proceeded with an inspection, uncovering 1,091,600 white and kretek cigarettes suspected to be smuggled.
The seized cigarettes, along with the container, are valued at RM111,324.00, while the estimated duties and taxes amount to RM730,888.40, bringing the total value of the seizure to RM842,212.40.
Authorities believe the syndicate behind the smuggling operation employed a modus operandi of storing uncustomed cigarettes in containers and placing them in open areas to evade detection by law enforcement.
Sarawak Customs director Norizan Yahya confirmed the successful operation in a statement and reiterated the department’s commitment to curb smuggling activities. Investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible for the illicit cargo.
