Smugglers aim for the sky

SEPANG: Smugglers are now using air freight services to send contraband cigarettes to clients abroad.

Personnel at the Customs Unit III at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) detected 15 attempts to smuggle out contraband cigarettes to a country in the Oceania region last month, said Customs Department assistant director-general Norlela Ismail.

“The most recent case was detected on April 15 when we seized 200,000 cigarettes worth RM154,000, including unpaid duties,” she said.

Overall, she said 786,000 cigarettes worth RM605,492, including unpaid duties, were seized.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, she said the cigarettes were declared as consoles.

“We scanned the parcels and the images were not consistent with what was declared,” she said, adding that upon further checks, they found the cigarettes.

She said the cigarettes had no tax stamps or health warning labels.

“We believe this is their latest modus operandi to smuggle out cigarettes and we are working hard to stop Malaysia from becoming a hub for the smuggling of contraband cigarettes,” she said.

Norlela said Customs officers also seized 823kg of beedi cigarettes which originated from a South Asian country on April 25.

“Our personnel seized the consignment which was declared as console cargo,” she said, adding that the seizure was worth RM135,552, including unpaid duties.

She said checks revealed that the names of the importer and consignee were false.

In an unrelated case, Norlela said two men in their 30s were arrested at KLIA on April 22 for attempting to smuggle 85.2kg of chewing tobacco.

“The two men came via a flight from a South Asian country.

“We checked the six luggage bags they brought in with them and found the chewing tobacco,” she said, adding that the suspects had entered Malaysia at least five times last month.

“The men are believed to have entered Malaysia for short trips in order to send over the chewing tobacco to a syndicate operating here.

“They were paid at least RM1,000 per trip,” she said.