KUALA LUMPUR: Seven retailers were arrested by Customs officers following raids conducted on outlets nationwide suspected of selling smuggled cigarettes over the past three days.
The special operation, codenamed Ops Outlet, zeroed in on retailers who sold contraband cigarettes resulting in the seizure of more than 50 cartons of illicit cigarettes since Monday.
In Penang, Customs officers detained two retailers and seized more than two cartons of cigarettes after raiding two shops in Simpang Ampat on Tuesday.
“The suspects were later taken to the state Customs headquarters in Prai for questioning.
“We will investigate further,” a spokesperson said yesterday.
In Johor, a sundry shop, which was raided previously for selling illegal cigarettes, was raided again with Customs officers seizing some 50 cartons of cigarettes worth RM1,000.
The Customs officers found illegal cigarettes after a quick search of the shop in Taman Damai Jaya at about 8.30pm on Wednesday.
At first, the shop owner only led the officers to an area under the cash drawer, but after a search, they found boxes of illegal cigarettes stored at the back of the shop.
The shop owner, who was previously fined for a similar offence last year, was taken to the state Customs headquarters for questioning.
In the Klang Valley, two retailers were detained in separate raids in Cheras, Kajang and Taman Setapak Jaya resulting in more than 60 packets of cigarettes seized.
Two more arrests were made in Seremban and Kota Baru as Customs officers tightened the net against retailers of contraband cigarettes.
Customs director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad said the department had raided 8,320 outlets and seized RM11.72mil worth of cigarettes with unpaid duties amounting to RM97.06mil during the Ops Outlet conducted between January and Aug 12.
Khazali said the department arrested 923 people, with 242 charged and 37 jailed.
“Ops Outlet managed to reduce the demand for illicit cigarettes by 3.1%, amounting to 200 million sticks,” he said, adding that smuggled cigarettes had cost the Government RM1.9bil in uncollected duties.-thestar
