PASIR MAS: The General Operations Force (GOF) seized illicit cigarettes valued at approximately RM330,000 at the Pos Rela illegal jetty yesterday.
GOF Southeast Brigade commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said, however, that no arrests were made during the operation.
The cigarettes were discovered in several boxes near the bushes beside the jetty around 1am.
"About 300,000 sticks of cigarettes are believed to have been smuggled into the state from Thailand. We suspect the contraband was intended for local distribution," he added.
In a separate incident, two Chinese nationals were detained for entering Malaysia illegally. They were travelling in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) with two locals when arrested at a roadblock in Banggol Kong.
"The vehicle was stopped for inspection around 5.30pm. Upon checking, two foreign passengers—both men—were unable to produce any travel documents. The other two individuals in the vehicle, including the driver, are believed to be the tekong darat (ground coordinators for smuggling activities)," he explained.
All four individuals are currently in custody for further investigation.
Authorities also seized the vehicle, five mobile phones, and cash in both Thai and Malaysian currencies.