Perak Customs Department foiled two attempts to smuggle kretek cigarettes worth RM140,000 on May 12 and yesterday, its deputy director Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said today.
The import tax on the cigaretttes would have been almost RM400,000. Speaking to reporters here, he said that in the first case, 31 sacks of kretek cigarettes valued at RM45,000 were found in a van which was abandoned by its driver in Jalan Sabak Bernam-Hutan Melintang.
In the second incident, 70 sacks of various kretek brands worth aroundRM95,000 were discovered in a boat which had docked at a fish landing jetty inSungai Tiang in Selangor.
Several boatmen managed to evade the authorities in the 4am raid. “Efforts to track them failed due to darkness,” said Abdul Latif.
Yalinie Mathan
Navin Kumar Perianen
Sashidaran Gunathevan
