Company Director, Manager Held In Smuggling Syndicate, False Declarations Probe - MACC

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, has arrested a company director and a manager from two different firms on suspicion of involvement in cigarette and liquor smuggling through the manipulation of import and export declaration forms.

According to sources, the activities of the two male suspects, in their 30s and 40s, were uncovered during operations code-named ‘Op Lung’, which began on Sept 9. They were arrested yesterday when they turned up at the MACC headquarters to provide their statements.

“The raids were also conducted at 15 companies and five business premises identified as illegal storage warehouses and led to the discovery of various brands of liquor believed to have been smuggled in without tax declarations,” the sources told Bernama.

Both suspects were remanded for three days, from today until Sept 12, after Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin approved the MACC’s application at the Putrajaya Court.

Meanwhile, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, when contacted, said the value of undeclared taxes identified so far is estimated at RM500,000, and the amount is expected to rise as investigations continue into several other identified premises.

He said the MACC has also frozen 14 company accounts and four individual accounts under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, involving a total of RM2.4 million.

“The amount is expected to increase as investigations point to the involvement of more companies and individuals believed to be abetting the syndicate,” he said.

Azam added that the MACC’s probe is now focused on elements of corruption, fraud, false declarations, money laundering, and the tracing of related assets.

“MACC expects more arrests to be made in the near future as efforts continue to expose the entire syndicate network,” he said.

-- BERNAMA