RM16.6 million worth of smuggled goods seized at Sepanggar Port
Siti (second left) and her officers showing some of the seized items.
KOTA KINABALU (June 10): The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Sabah) seized RM16.6 million worth of smuggled goods in a series of raids at Sepanggar Port here last month.
Sabah Customs Department Assistant Director General Siti Mang said the items seized between May 14 and 29 included liquor, frozen chicken and rice.
In the first case, Customs officers inspected 33 containers and discovered 659,856 litres of various types of liquor worth RM3.97 million. The estimated duties and taxes amounted to RM11.86 million.
In a second raid on May 16, officers inspected a container carrying 28 tonnes of frozen chicken valued at RM233,400. The duties and taxes were estimated at RM93,360. None of the frozen chicken products had a valid import permit.
On May 29, officers uncovered 150 tonnes of fragrant and glutinous rice worth RM356,250, with duties and taxes totaling RM142,500.
All cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967.
Siti said smuggling activities not only cause significant revenue loss but also pose risks to national security and public well-being.
She urged the public to cooperate with the Customs Department by reporting any smuggling activities via the Customs Toll-Free line at 1-800-88-8855.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
17 hours ago
- Daily Express
RM332,440 Tawau smuggled goods seizure
Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 22, 2025 By: Lagatha Toyos Text Size: Enforcement officers inspecting and seizing controlled goods during Ops Tiris in Tawau. TAWAU: Three locals suspected of attempting to misappropriate controlled goods were arrested during Ops Tiris raids at two separate locations with total seizures valued at RM332,440. Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Commander, DCP Datuk Victor Sanjos, said the suspects were aged between 31 and 37. He said the operation was conducted by Esscom's Security Division in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, aimed at combating cross-border criminal activities. In the first operation, three individuals were detained along with a large quantity of diesel stored in a modified four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with a special tank. The vehicle also carried several barrels of diesel stored around a petrol station area along Jalan Apas. 'The raiding team also seized mobile phones, receipts and two four-wheel-drive vehicles believed used in the illegal activity,' he said. Advertisement The suspects were handed over to KPDN's Enforcement Division for investigation under the Control of Supplies Act 1961. Victor said in a second operation near the Batu 3 Jetty, Jalan Apas, the enforcement team detected a suspicious boat entering Malaysian waters from the Indonesian maritime border. However, the boat's skipper and several passengers jumped into the sea and fled after realising the presence of authorities. Upon inspection, authorities found a local woman passenger along with cargo, and it was determined that the boat was used for cross-border smuggling. The woman failed to provide any Customs declaration documents for the items onboard. 'The authorities seized the boat with its outboard engine, several food items and a suspicious lorry parked near the jetty,' he said. Further investigation of the woman is being carried out by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department under the Customs Act 1967. Victor said the aim of the operation was to curb the smuggling of controlled, subsidised, and untaxed goods, as well as to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants. He affirmed Esscom's commitment to fighting cross-border crime, especially in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), in support of national development initiatives and the strengthening of the community's socio-economic wellbeing, grounded in compassion, security, confidence, and sustainability in line with the aspirations of the Malaysia Madani agenda. He also urged the public to channel any information related to security incidents in the ESSZone to the Esscom Operations Centre via 089-863181 or WhatsApp at 011-63311072. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
KLIA customs dept foils attempts to smuggle drugs worth RM2.65mil
KLIA customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said customs officers found 5.31kg of ecstasy worth almost RM900,000 at the cargo terminal in the KLIA free trade zone on May 16. (Custom pic) PETALING JAYA : Customs officers recently foiled attempts to smuggle a total of 30.14kg of drugs worth RM2.65 million through KLIA. KLIA customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said a man was arrested on April 17 for trying to smuggle out 14.65kg of cannabis buds worth almost RM1.44 million in his checked baggage on a flight to a European country. He said the man was subjected to a baggage inspection after his travel was blocked by the Border Control and Protection Agency. 'During the baggage scan, the man attempted to flee but was apprehended by customs personnel. 'The inspection found cannabis buds packed in vacuum-sealed plastic to avoid detection,' Bernama reported him as saying today. Zulkifli said on May 16, customs found 5.31kg of ecstasy worth almost RM900,000 smuggled in through a consignment at the cargo terminal in the KLIA free trade zone. He said the drugs, believed to have originated from a European country, were packaged and declared as laptop components. He said 10.18kg of methamphetamine, worth nearly RM300,000, was also intercepted on May 24. They were concealed in a consignment packed with clothing. He said investigations into the drug shipments are under way but face obstacles as the smugglers usually use fake company names and addresses. 'We have gone to the (premises) declared in the consignment information, but the companies either do not exist or have other addresses,' he said.
Sinar Daily
3 days ago
- Sinar Daily
Expanded SST not new tax, just smarter one, says Treasury sec-gen
SHAH ALAM - The expanded sales and service tax (SST) set to take effect from July 1, 2025 is not a new tax imposed on everyday goods despite the common misconception, but a carefully considered extension of the existing tax framework. Secretary General of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican said SST was aimed at improving national fiscal stability without overburdening the public. Clarifying public confusion over the SST expansion, Johan stressed that only about 3,332 new items were being added to the list of taxable goods and services. This represented just 20 per cent more than the existing 6,297 taxable items. "The expansion is being misunderstood as a new tax. "But the reality is many of these items have been subject to SST all along — just not visible to consumers because the tax was absorbed at the manufacturer or supplier level," he said. Chief Secretary of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican visiting the Customs Call Centre under the Corporate Planning Division at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. He added that the confusion was exacerbated by viral claims on social media suggesting that bizarre items such as seawater, human hair and bones were being taxed. "This tax domain is technical. Yes, these terms exist in the gazette, but they refer to industrial inputs, not items meant for daily consumption," he said. In response to claims that seawater is being taxed, Johan clarified that the items listed in the Customs gazette pertained to pharmaceutical-grade seawater, not ordinary seawater from local beaches. Similarly, human hair was only taxed if it was imported for wig-making or industrial use, not from local barbershops. "Table salt that Malaysians use every day remains tax-free. Only certain premium or industrial salts are taxed. "The same applies to milk, sugar, bread and other essentials — all remain zero-rated," he said. He added that while optional dairy products like yoghurt and butter were taxed at five per cent. This, he said has been in place under the previous SST framework. He said these were not new additions adding that consumers may just now be realising it due to the public attention. Chief Secretary of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican during his visit to the Customs Call Centre under the Corporate Planning Division at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. While some economists and business groups advocate a return to the goods and services tax (GST) due to its comprehensiveness and higher potential revenue, Johan said SST was a more progressive and balanced approach at this time. "If we reinstated GST, it would generate over RM20 billion annually. "But SST expansion is projected to bring in around RM10 billion for a full year — less than half of GST," he said. He added that GST, by design, passed the full tax burden to the end-user consumer, making it favourable for businesses but more costly for everyday Malaysians. As such, he said the government should widen the revenue base without disproportionately impacting the people or the economy instead. Items newly taxed under the SST included imported fruits and premium seafood such as salmon, cod, lobster and king crab, which will now carry a five per cent tax. These goods, by default, were considered non-essential and as seen in the country's current economic landscape, alternatives existed. "For instance, local fruits remain zero-rated and there's an opportunity here to stimulate local production. "In cases where local supply is insufficient, such as coconuts, imported versions are still tax-free," he said. He dismissed rumours that common seafood like mackerel or tuna would be taxed, further affirming that basic seafood items — prawns, squid, mackerel — all remained zero-rated. Beyond the horizon, Johan assured that the SST expansion will not significantly affect inflation, with the impact estimated at around 0.25 per cent — in line with government projections. "These figures are based on detailed modelling. The idea is to raise essential revenue while ensuring affordability," he said. The additional revenue will in turn support critical government programmes, including Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) which provided RM100 monthly to over five million Malaysians. Despite an overall positive outlook thus far, one area of concern has been the inclusion of rental and logistics services under SST, which some feared could increase consumer prices. To clear any lingering doubts, Johan said rental services were only taxed for businesses earning over RM500,000 annually, thereby exempting small traders. Chief Secretary of Treasury Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican during an interview with Sinar. Business-to-business exemptions were in place to avoid double taxation, such as between shopping malls and anchor tenants. "For example, if a mall rents to a department store, that transaction is taxed. But smaller kiosks operating under the department store will not face an additional tax," he said. Summing up the rationale behind the expanded SST, Johan said the government has adopted a "targeted, progressive" tax strategy that supported national fiscal policy while protecting lower-income households. "The idea is not to burden the people but to empower the government to fund better public services. "We must be realistic about our country's fiscal needs. But at the same time, we are ensuring basic needs are protected and that choices exist for consumers to avoid any additional cost," he said.
