MIRI: The Customs Department has seized a 20-foot container in the Eastwood industrial area near here, loaded with various brands of cigarettes that the department believes to have been smuggled into the state.
The seizure was made on Aug 14 and unpaid duty is estimated at RM730,888.
State Customs director Norizan Yahya, in a statement today, said the container attracted the attention of the department's officers as it was rather out of place in the industrial estate, placed in an open, "no man's" land next to a Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sesco) substation.
Norizan said at about 11.30am yesterday a team from its ground operations unit combed the Poslaju Eastwood centre and then the industrial area for signs of smuggling activities when they came across the oddly placed container.
She said her officers then placed the container and surrounding area under surveillance hoping to grab anyone that might be connected to the container.
However, after almost an hour of keeping the container under watch, she said there was no sign of anyone trying to claim the container.
"Several members of the public were questioned, but they were unaware of who the container belonged to," she added.
As the placement of the container bore similarity with smuggling syndicates' modus operandi to store smuggled contraband in a container and place them in an open area to avoid detection, the officers seized the container.
After opening the container, Customs officers found over 1.09 million sticks of cigarettes that have a street value of RM111,324 which the department suspects the duty had not been paid.
Norizan said the seizure is now being investigated under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967, and the owner/s of the container and contraband if found and convicted, face a fine up to RM500,000 or a jail term of up to five years, or both.
She is appealing to members of the public to provide the department information on any suspected smuggling activities by contacting its toll-free line at 1-800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office in all states.
She assures informants that their identity will be kept confidential.