Customs Dept Seizes Various Commodities, Including Cannabis, Worth Over RM314,000

KANGAR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- The Perlis branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) seized various commodities, including cannabis, with a total value of RM314,276.40 during separate inspections and raids in Perlis, Kedah and Penang between Oct 28 and Nov 12.

Perlis JKDM director Ismail Hashim said various types of alcoholic beverages, totalling 2,136 litres and suspected of having unpaid taxes, were also seized by his department during inspections in Kuala Perlis as well as Bukit Mertajam, Penang, on Nov 6 and Nov 11 respectively, with an estimated value of RM175,364.40.

Meanwhile, at about 12.10 pm on Nov 6, a team of customs officers conducted a vehicle inspection at the Kuala Perlis Roll On-Roll Off (RoRo) Terminal, and during the inspection of a Malaysian-registered lorry, they discovered 1,656 litres of suspected undeclared liquor.

The lorry driver, a 25-year-old Malaysian man, was detained to assist in the investigation before being released on a Customs bond of RM10,000. On Nov 11 at about 8.30 pm, customs officers conducted an inspection on an unnumbered store in Bukit Mertajam.

"The inspection on the store found 480 litres of suspected undeclared liquor," he said in a press conference at the Zamzam Hall, Perlis State Customs Complex here today.

Additionally, Ismail said his team also seized various types of suspected undeclared cigarettes amounting to 146,800 sticks, estimated to be worth RM45,912, through inspections in Kangar, Alor Setar in Kedah, and Bukit Mertajam on Oct 28, Nov 7 and 11 respectively.

On Oct 28 at about 7 pm, customs officers conducted an inspection of an empty house in Kangar and found 138 cartons or 26,000 suspected undeclared cigarettes.

"A total of 299 cartons or 101,800 suspected undeclared cigarettes were found during an inspection of a Malaysian-registered vehicle parked in an open parking lot at a shopping centre in Alor Setar on Nov 7 at about 10,30am," he said.

He said that 95 cartons or 19,000 suspected undeclared cigarettes were also found along with the seized liquor during an inspection of an unnumbered store in Bukit Mertajam.

Ismail said that following that his team seized 30 compressed blocks of suspected cannabis, weighing 30.145 kilogrammes (kg) worth RM93,000 in a raid in the Pintu Tiga area, Bukit Batu Putih, Kuala Perlis, at the Malaysia-Thailand border, on Nov 12, at about 8.30 pm.

The raid resulted in the discovery of two suspicious looking white gunny sacks left near the border fence. The modus operandi is believed to be that the gunny sacks, suspected to contain cannabis, would be thrown from the Thailand side over the wall or Malaysia's border fence. The package is believed to be picked up by another individual.

According to him, based on the weight of the drugs obtained from the seizure, it has successfully prevented the drugs from being distributed to more than 150,000 drug addicts.

He also said all cases involving the seizure of various commodities are being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 and Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967, as well as Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Meanwhile, Ismail added that up to Nov 15, the Perlis JKDM seized drugs worth RM3.27 million in eight cases this year, involving the seizure of 110.38 kg of cannabis, heroin (5.25 kg) and methamphetamine. (73.319 kg).

-- BERNAMA