KUANTAN: For several months, a syndicate has been manufacturing counterfeit liquor at a warehouse at the Perdana Industrial Park in Lukut, Negri Sembilan.
The operation came to an end on Sept 28 when the Pahang Customs Department raided the premises and seized 3,928 litres of alcohol worth RM227, 597, including tax.
The raiding team seized processing equipment, water pumps, hoses, rolls of fake liquor brand stickers, a box of bottle covers with "duty paid" stickers and empty bottles of various sizes.
Pahang Customs director Mohd Asri Seman said acting on information, the team raided the premises about 2pm, but there was no one there.
"The warehouse has been converted into a liquor distillery.
"Initial investigations found that the syndicate processes the alcohol, fills the bottles, packs the bottles into boxes, then distributes the alcohol for the local market.
"To trick customers into believing the alcohol is genuine, the syndicate labels the bottle covers with QR barcodes.
"When the raiding team arrived, none of the machines were operating and there were no workers at the premises," he told a press conference at Wisma Kastam here today.
Asri said the department was tracking down the premises owner.
He said the case was being probed under Section 20(1) of the Excise Act 1976 for distilling, fermenting or manufacturing intoxicating liquor without the approval of the Customs Department director-general.
In a separate raid, Asri said the department seized 3.1 million sticks of contraband cigarettes with unpaid taxes worth RM2.1 million.
"The warehouse is in the same industrial park in Lukut.
"The raiding team seized boxes of cigarettes that are believed to have been smuggled in from a neighbouring country."
He said no arrests were made.
Between January and Oct 22, Pahang Customs seized vehicles, liquor and cigarettes with unpaid taxes worth RM14 million, he said.
He said 156 investigation papers were opened this year, resulting in the arrest of 51 individuals and nine were produced in court.