SELANGOR CUSTOMS FOILS ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE BEER, CIGARS, RICE WORTH RM5.75 MILLION

PORT KLANG, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has foiled an attempt to smuggle beer, cigars, and rice worth RM5.75 million following two separate inspections at West Port and North Port here last month.

Its director Mohamad Azhar Ahmad Paharazi said the first inspection involved a container at West Port on Dec 18, during which 37,128 litres of beer valued at RM1.39 million were discovered.

He said preliminary investigations revealed that the goods, believed to be without import permits, were declared using inaccurate descriptions and were detected entering the port on Nov 18 from a country in the Asian region.

"The importation of liquor is subject to an import permit issued by the Director-General of Customs as outlined under Item 67, Part I, Third Schedule of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023," he told a press conference here today.

Mohamad Azhar added that acting on intelligence, an inspection of a container at North Port on Dec 29 resulted in the seizure of 6,250 kg of cigars and 3,900 kg of rice worth RM4.35 million.

Investigations found that the items were falsely declared as footwear to evade import permit requirements.

"Preliminary findings show the container arrived at Port Klang on Oct 12 and originated from an Asian country. It is suspected that the cigars were intended for the foreign national market here, while the rice was likely for the general market," he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967, he added.

-- BERNAMA