Sibu: The Sarawak Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) seized 3.43 million sticks of untaxed cigarettes and 70,518 litres of liquor, collectively valued at RM4.2 million, from a two-storey house in Sibu.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sarawak State JKDM director Datuk Norizan Yahya stated that the department, acting on intelligence, conducted a raid at 4.25 pm on a house located in Lorong Ulu Sungai Merah, Sibu. During the inspection, officers discovered cigarettes and liquor classified as prohibited items under the Customs (Prohibition on Imports) Order 2023.

The seized items, consisting of cigarettes and liquor, are estimated to be worth RM731,809.44. The total import duty and tax for these goods amount to RM3,472,209.93, as per the statement released by Norizan. The operation revealed that the syndicate involved had been using lodging houses as storage for the contraband to avoid detection by authorities.

The case is currently under investigation under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, which deals with the illegal importation of prohibited goods.