PETALING JAYA: Customs have detected illicit beer in two shipping containers of vegetables at North Port, Klang recently.
Less than a week later, they also seized over a million ringgit worth of contraband cigarettes which was stored at an abandoned warehouse.
According to the Central Zone Customs Department, the beer worth RM150,000 was hidden behind the vegetables which included broccoli and cabbage.
Central Zone Customs Department assistant director general Norlela Ismail said they first detected two containers at North Port, Klang at 11.30pm on June 13.
"Scans of the containers revealed images that did not tally with its declared contents.
"We opened up the containers and found vegetables inside, but when we went deeper into the container we found the illicit beer," she told reporters on Thursday.
She said they seized 8,600 litres of beer worth RM47,300 with RM113,000 in unpaid duties.
"We believe the beer was smuggled in from China.
"Following the seizure, we have called in a shipping representative to help with further investigations," she said.
Meanwhile, Norlela said following nearly a month-long surveillance operation, personnel from the Central Zone Customs Department Cobra Unit raided an abandoned warehouse at Batu 11, Cheras at 9pm on June 19.
"We checked the warehouse and seized 1,566,000 sticks of illicit cigarettes.
"Our checks revealed that the cigarettes were worth at least RM288,000 with RM1.06 million in unpaid duties," she said, adding that the cigarettes also had fake Customs stamps on them.
She said this was also the largest seizure of illicit cigarettes made by the Central Zone Customs Department this year.
"We believe the cigarettes were smuggled in from a neighbouring country," she said.
She said both cases were being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) and Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 respectively.