KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Customs Department has recorded a total seizure value of RM348 million for the first six months of this year.
State Zone Customs Assistant Director-General Datuk Mohd Nasir Deraman said while the main seizures involved drugs, cigarettes, and liquor, they also dealt with frozen items such as chicken.
"These are imported goods entering the state through the Sepanggar Port for local consumption," he said in a statement after paying a courtesy visit to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, and Toh Puan Norlidah R.M. Jasni at Istana Seri Kinabalu yesterday.
Although the situation is now under control and the number of cases has decreased, Mohd Nasir said they will continue to enhance control measures at the port through inspection methods using Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)-equipped scanners.
They will also enforce directives for shipping agents to make complete and orderly declarations so that the Customs Department can directly identify the declared goods.
Mohd Nasir also said they would conduct operations for ports in Sepanggar, Tawau, and Sandakan.