Melaka: The Melaka branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) successfully foiled activities to smuggle electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) as well as various brands of cigarettes valued at RM1.84 million, including taxes, in three separate raids on Feb 11.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the first seizure involved 88,270 kilogrammes of used e-waste, with an estimated value of RM660,000 including taxes, held in four containers believed to be imported from an Asian country to Northport, in Port Klang, Selangor. Roslan Yusoff, the director of Melaka JKDM, stated that preliminary investigations indicated the e-waste was imported by two local companies based in Selangor, with the goods falsely declared as 'copper concentrate' in the Customs Form 1. A physical inspection revealed the containers were filled with used e-waste, leading to their seizure for further investigation.

A 40-year-old local man, representing the shipping agent company that managed the importation, has been detained to assist in further investigations under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1957. The subsequent raids involved the seizure of 818,600 sticks of various brands of cigarettes, estimated to be worth RM624,263.20, including taxes, at a vacant house in the Melaka Tengah district at about 3.30 pm.

After three hours of surveillance, the raids were executed on premises suspected of storing smuggled cigarettes. The inspection revealed some cigarettes with fake Customs tax stamps, while others were without tax stamps. The third raid uncovered 746,200 sticks of various brands of cigarettes, worth RM558,157.60, including taxes, at a car windshield repair shop in the same district at 4 pm.

The shop was not operating during the raid, and some of the seized cigarettes had fake tax stamps, while others had none. The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1957, with efforts underway to trace the source of the smuggled cigarettes and the connection between the two cigarette smuggling cases.