KUALA LUMPUR: The Customs Department has refuted allegations circulating on social media regarding a luxury car smuggling syndicate in Sarawak, which purportedly received protection from its director-general.
Its deputy director-general Ribuan Abdullah addressed the claims, saying that they emerged yesterday, suggesting that the syndicate enjoyed preferential treatment from director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, allowing it to evade prosecution.
He said that Anis had no involvement in the detention or investigation of the seized vehicles, as such matters fell solely within the enforcement division's authority, led by the state Customs director.
"To protect the reputation of both the director-general and the Customs Department, a police report has been filed," he said in a statement today.
Ribuan said that Section 12 of the Customs Act 1967 guaranteed enforcement officers the right to perform their duties without external interference.
"This includes enforcement activities at the state level, which are under the jurisdiction of the respective state Customs directors," he said.
He also said that under Section 114 of the Customs Act 1967, several vehicles in Sarawak were seized based on reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.
Officers have comprehensive powers under Sections 106B and 106C of the same Act to conduct inspections and investigations.
Decisions regarding prosecution or the release of seized vehicles rest with the Public Prosecutor, as outlined in Section 379 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
From January to last month, the Sarawak Customs Department successfully seized 56 vehicles for investigation, generating a total revenue of RM11.7 million.
This marks a 115.4 per cent increase in the number of vehicles seized and a remarkable 192.5 per cent rise in revenue compared to the same period last year.
"The strict enforcement actions of the department will continue despite the unfounded allegations and slander from those dissatisfied with our increased seizure performance in 2024 compared to 2023," said Ribuan.