RANTAU PANJANG: In its biggest seizure this year, the General Operations Force (GOF) seized 160 boxes of contraband cigarettes worth about RM2.4 million near Tumpat, today.
The confiscation was made during a 4am operation at an illegal jetty in Kuala Jambu, where five men, believed to be smugglers, were seen transferring the boxes from the riverbank to a waiting lorry.
However, the men escaped arrest when they fled on foot upon noticing the advancing GOF personnel.
"When the GOF checked the lorry, they found 160 boxes containing 1.6 million sticks of cigarettes. It is the biggest seizure made by the battalion this year," GOF Eighth Battalion ground commander, Deputy Superintendent Abdul Aziz Che Embong, told reporters here, today.
He said the cigarettes, of the brand ‘Concept’, are believed to have been smuggled in from Vietnam and Thailand.
"(We believe the) cigarettes are for local distribution. (These cigarettes) are in high demand among Malaysian smokers due to their low price.”
Abdul Aziz added that a total of RM3.4 million in smuggled items have been seized since the battalion took over monitoring of the border area on Oct 15 this year.