LIMBANG: Sarawak Marine Police Region 5 Limbang seized contraband cigarettes and alcoholic beverages worth RM316,818 with unpaid taxes and Customs duties from a premises in Kampung Bidang Darat near here during a raid on Tuesday.
Commander of the region, ACP Shamsol Kassim said a 34-year-old local man was also arrested during the integrated operation together with Limbang District Police Headquarters Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department.
“During the raid, the marine police asked the suspect for his identification. While inspecting his vehicle, they found two brown boxes containing contraband cigarettes.
“When the marine police asked the suspect if he was storing any more contraband, he told them that more were being kept in a storeroom behind the house,” said Shamsol in a statement today.
He added the suspect was then instructed to open the storeroom and inside, the marine police found several other brown boxes containing Kretek cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
“They then proceeded to inspect the inside of the suspect’s house and instructed him to open a locked room where more brown boxes containing cigarettes were found.
“All the items were seized on suspicion of having unpaid taxes and Customs duties and were subsequently brought to the Sarawak Marine Police Limbang tactical headquarters for further action and investigation for committing an offence under the Customs Act 1967,” said Shamsol.
He said the suspect was later handed over to the Limbang District Police Headquarters for further action.
