GERIK: The Royal Customs Department foiled attempts to smuggle in cigarettes worth RM1.59mil after making two seizures in Kuala Kangsar and Lenggong near here.

       Perak Customs director Datuk Dr Mohamad Sapirin said the operations were carried out under its Operasi Benteng Fasa 22, with the first seizure made at the Selat Pagar rest and service area in Lenggong at about 8am on Saturday (March 5).

       A Customs team from the Pengkalan Hulu enforcement branch stopped an Isuzu lorry in Lenggong and found a consignment of cigarettes with unpaid duties, he said.

       "Upon inspection, the raiding party seized 1.7 million sticks of white cigarettes, with duties estimated at RM1.13mil, suspected to be Customs prohibited goods.

       "The 31-year-old driver was detained and the lorry was impounded with its consignment of prohibited goods,” he told a press conference at the Bukit Berapit Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex in Pengkalan Hulu here Wednesday (March 9).

       In the second case, the team seized 690,000 sticks of cigarettes, with unpaid duties estimated at RM460,620, at the Sungai Perak rest and service area at 6am on the same day.

       However, no arrest was made in this case as the lorry with the goods had been abandoned there, he said.

       He said the smuggling syndicate displayed the seal of a forwarding company on the lorry in a bid to deceive the authorities.

       The contraband cigarettes are believed to be for distribution in various parts of Perak.

       He urged anyone with information on smuggling activities to contact the customs toll-free line at 1800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office. - Bernama