Customs seizes contraband cigarettes, liquor and cannabis worth RM7.39 mln in Bintulu

Norizan (centre) speaks during a press conference in Bintulu on June 11, 2026.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 11: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Sarawak has crippled a major smuggling operation in Bintulu after seizing contraband cigarettes, liquor and cannabis worth RM7,387,235.50 (RM7.39 million), including unpaid duties and taxes, in a series of enforcement operations conducted between April and May this year.

Sarawak Customs director Datuk Norizan Yahya said the seizures involved more than 7.2 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, over 8,100 litres of untaxed liquor, suspected cannabis weighing more than 4.3kg, as well as two vehicles believed to be linked to the smuggling activities.

The total value of the seized goods was estimated at RM1.91 million, while unpaid duties and taxes amounted to RM5.47 million, bringing the overall value to RM7.39 million.

“The success of these operations demonstrates Customs’ continued commitment to combating smuggling activities that not only cause revenue leakages to the government but also threaten public safety and national security,” he said during a press conference in Bintulu today.

The largest seizure took place on May 19 when Customs officers raided an empty warehouse along Jalan Bintulu-Miri and uncovered 5.42 million sticks of cigarettes and 2,788.8 litres of liquor suspected to have been smuggled into the country.

Two vehicles found at the premises were also seized.

The haul was valued at RM5.44 million, including duties and taxes.

Three other raids carried out between May 17 and 18 at abandoned houses in Taman Seaview and a vacant unit at Plaza Li Hua led to the seizure of an additional 1.79 million sticks of cigarettes and more than 5,300 litres of liquor.

Investigators believe the syndicate used vacant houses and warehouses as temporary storage facilities before distributing the contraband to local markets.

All four cases are being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for possessing or storing uncustomed goods and prohibited imports.

Upon conviction, offenders face fines of up to 20 times the value of the goods or RM500,000, whichever is higher, imprisonment of between six months and five years, or both.

In separate narcotics operations, Customs officers from the Sarawak Narcotics Branch intercepted four cannabis trafficking attempts involving courier parcels addressed to Bintulu.

Two of the parcels, seized on April 11, were sent using incomplete or non-existent addresses. After monitoring the courier service counters for four days without any claimant appearing, officers inspected the packages and discovered compressed blocks of dried plant material suspected to be cannabis weighing a total of 548g and valued at RM16,440.

Further operations on April 28 and May 14 resulted in the arrest of two local men after they collected parcels believed to contain drugs in Park City Commerce Square and Jalan Sungai Nyigu respectively.

Inspections revealed a total of 35 compressed blocks of suspected cannabis weighing 3.77kg with an estimated value of RM113,220.

Customs said traffickers attempted to evade detection by declaring the drugs as ordinary merchandise and using fictitious recipient details.

The drug cases are being investigated under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the punishment of death or life imprisonment and, where applicable, a minimum of 15 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

Norizan urged members of the public to assist Customs in combating smuggling activities by channelling information through the Customs toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office.

“Public cooperation is crucial in our efforts to curb smuggling involving cigarettes, liquor, drugs, vehicles and other prohibited goods,” he said. — DayakDaily