KOTA KINABALU:
Various types of smuggled goods with unpaid duties amounting to RM1.9 million were seized by the State Customs Department in January and February. Its Director Datuk Yusop Mansor said a total of 325 cases involving confiscation of critical items were recorded during the first two months of this year. Of the total amount of unpaid duties, he biggest contributor was cigarettes of various brands followed by alcoholic drinks. The latest case was on Feb 16 where 6,200 cartons (each containing 10 packs) were confiscated after a raid on a warehouse in Kolombong Industrial Estate in Inanam. The RM62,000 cigarettes comprised 1,200 cartons of Gudang Garam Surya and 5,000 cartons of Era weighing a total of 1,169.5 kilogram and with a street value of RM112,000. The unpaid duties on the cigarettes amounted to RM436,540. Four persons were being investigated in connection with hidden in three vehicles in a house in the seizure under Section 135(1)(D) of the Kampung Tulung Pogunon, Penampang. Customs Act 1967. The seizure, including the unpaid taxes, In a separate case early this month, the was worth a total of RM195,644. The Customs Department found 1,500 cartons department also seized all vehicles, of cigarettes of various brands and 45 including a Proton Gen2, a Nissan Urban cartons of beer (each containing 24 cans) van and a Rusa van.
