JOHOR BARU: The Home Ministry recorded its largest seizure of sex toys this year, worth RM70,000 in four operations in Johor, Sarawak, Pulau Pinang, and Perak.
Also detained were three women and a man, all in their 30s, who are believed to be the business proprietors.
Since 2023 to-date, the ministry had recorded seizures worth RM1.3 million, which is an offence under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for eroding moral values.
Section 7(1) gives the ministry absolute discretion to ban media that is "in any manner prejudicial to or likely to be prejudicial to public order, morality, security.
The ministry's Enforcement and Controls Division secretary Nik Yusaimi Yussof said four raids were conducted on several premises in Johor, Sarawak, Pulau Pinang, and Perak between Jan 18 and Feb 6 this year, that led to the seizure of 2,295 sex toys worth RM70,000.
In the operation in Masai, here, the enforcement officers raided a storage facility and found 2,012 sex toys.
The Masai seizure, worth RM37,350 is among the biggest compared to the seizures in Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang where 102 sex toys worth RM15,732 and Ipoh, Perak with 46 units worth RM6,050.
The raid in a shopping complex in Kuching, Sarawak, led to the seizure of 135 units of sex toys worth RM10,890.50.
Nik Yusaimi said the ministry noticed a worrying surge in the sale of sex toys which were sold openly in shopping complexes and also online.
The toys were sold between RM50 and RM300, and are suspected to be imported from China to meet local market demand.
"The sale of sex toys is prohibited in the country, while those who sold, imported or distributed them, may face legal actions, as it contradicts the values and culture of our society," he said, during a press conference held at the ministry's Enforcement and Controls Division at its state headquarters in Setia Tropika Complex, here, today.
The suspects were detained to assist in investigations under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code for selling, distributing and possessing obscene materials.
"The ministry will intensify enforcement actions against the distribution and sale of sex toys nationwide, as sex toys are now being sold openly in cosmetic, health, and souvenir stores," he added.