SUNGAI PETANI: The State Customs Department seized RM3.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes from a factory at the Sungai Petani industrial area here on Aug 27.
Its director Saadon Md Dros said the market value of the contraband was RM693,000 while unpaid Customs duty was estimated at about RM3 million.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the department raided the factory and found 630 cartons of the contraband which were of the Fisher brand.
Checks on the contraband revealed that there was no MY security ink on the boxes indicating that no tax had been paid.
He said the label "Amaran Oleh Kerajaan Malaysia" (Warning by the Malaysian Government) which was usually found on cigarette packets after duty had been paid, was not found on the seized items."
He said the 10.40am bust was the biggest seizure involving smuggled cigarettes in the state this year.
Four men, believed to be the factory's workers, were also arrested during the raid.
The suspects, aged between 28 and 45, were remanded for five days which ended yesterday.
Saadon said the department had obtained a court order to extend the remand period for another six days until Sept 6 to facilitate investigations.
He said the factory was a transit point for the contraband before it was distributed to several areas in the country, especially in the rural areas.
Based on the large quantity of the contraband, Saadon did not rule out that the involvement of syndicates from neighbouring countries.
The department is still investigating how long the factory has been operating as a transit point.
He said the case would be investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
If convicted, the suspects could be fined up to 10 times the value of the contraband or RM50,000, whichever was less, or sentenced up to three years' jail or both.
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