Mohd Nasir (center) and Customs officers with some of the seized cigarettes.
KOTA KINABALU (Sept 15): The State Customs Department seized close to RM6 million worth of contraband cigarettes from a terrace house in Luyang here on Wednesday.
State Customs Department assistant director Mohd Nasir Deraman said operation was carried out at 7pm following a tip-off of an illegal activity in the area.
“The raid was carried out by our Customs Operational Battle Force Response Assault (COBRA) team and managed to seize numerous contraband cigarettes worth RM5.933 million.
“A local man, aged 29, was also detained in the raid to facilitate investigation,” he told a press conference at the Wisma Penguatkuasaan Kastam in Sepanggar on Friday.
Mohd Nasir said the modus operandi was to use the house as a storeroom for the cigarettes before distribution.
The case is being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967.