From: Asia One
Chong Kah Yuan | The Star/Asia News Network
GEORGE TOWN – More than a billion sticks of smuggled cigarettes worth RM86.74milliion (S$32.3 million)were seized in the country in the first three months of the year.
Under the Customs Department’s Ops Outlet crackdown on the contraband, 40,498 shops were raided during that period.
“The objective of Ops Outlet is to put a stop to the distribution chain and sale of smuggled cigarettes by distributors and sundry shops,” said Customs Department director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad at the launch of Ops Outlet 2.0 on Thursday.
A total of 6,295 people have been detained for allegedly dealing in illegal cigarettes, he said, adding that 2,202 of the detainees were charged in court.
Illegal cigarettes smuggled into the country are sold at between RM3.50 and RM5.
The country has lost nearly RM1.9bil due to cigarette smuggling.
