BINTULU: Customs officials seized a shipping container with 7.7 tonnes of firecrackers and fireworks at the Bintulu Enforcement Store last Friday (May 7).

At around 11am, a team conducted an inspection on a container from China.

Sarawak Customs director Herman Shah Abdullah said the team found 430 cartons of various firecrackers and fireworks with an estimated weight of 7.715 tonnes inside.

“The value of the seizure is estimated at RM51,930 and its estimated tax and duties, RM33,754.50.

“A check of the import form (K1) found that the illegal items were not properly declared and not listed in the import licence issued by the police.

“An importer and a shipping agent have been detained for further investigation,” he said, adding that this case was the second involving importation through Bintulu Port.

The goods declared in the import form were not the same as what was found in the container.

Herman added that the illegal goods were not properly declared and were mixed together with other approved goods in the import licence to avoid detection.

The case will be investigated under Section 133 (1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for making an incorrect or untrue declaration and if convicted, the individual can be fined up to RM500,000 or be jailed up to seven years or both, and Section 135 (1)(a) of the same Act with intent to import prohibited goods.

If convicted, the individual can be punished with not less than 10 times the value of the goods or RM50,000, whichever is higher and, not more than 20 times the value of the goods or RM500,000, whichever is higher or a jail term up to five years, or both.