At a press conference today, acting state customs director Ramizah Bee Salleh Ghany said the raids were conducted at a shoplot in Tasek Gelugor and an unmanned warehouse in Telok Wang, Bukit Mertajam.

During the shoplot raid on April 22, customs department personnel seized regular and kretek cigarettes in the toilet and under piles of empty boxes, valued at RM263,233.08 including duties and taxes.

“A local man in his 30s suspected to be the owner of the premises has been arrested for further investigation,” said Ramizah.

The raid in Bukit Mertajam on April 24 meanwhile saw the customs department seizing regular and kretek cigarettes, beer, and liquor worth RM3.68 million including unpaid duties and taxes.

“All these cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are believed to have been for distribution to the local market,” said Ramizah, adding that investigations are underway to determine whether the cases involve the same syndicates.

Both cases are being investigated under the Customs Act 1967 for the possession, storage, or concealment of uncustomed or prohibited goods.

This is the second major haul involving millions of ringgit worth of untaxed liquor and cigarettes by the customs department in two months, following a March 13 raid in which the authorities seized RM3.6 million worth of similar untaxed items.

When asked whether the customs department and other authorities were trying to identify the buyers in local markets who procure these items from the syndicates, Ramizah said the case is still under investigation.