Customs stems financial bleed, prevents RM8.5m in cigarette smuggling at Johor port

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Jan 1 — An attempt to sneak in 10,500 sticks of cigarettes from the country without paying tax was foiled at Johor’s Port of Tanjung Pelepas on Christmas Eve.

The shipment of contraband goods bound for overseas markets had been listed as furniture. If the smuggling attempt had been successful, Malaysia would have lost RM8.5 million, including tax, Johor Customs director Datuk Mohammad Hamidan Maryani said today.

Hamidan said his officers were tipped off that smugglers were taking advantage of a faulty cargo scanner at the port on December 24, 2019 to ship in contraband goods.

Malay Mail understands the said RM12 million scanner is the only one at the southern port and has been in service for 16 years.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/01/01/customs-stems-financial-bleed-prevents-rm8.5m-in-cigarette-smuggling-at-joh/1823832