JOHOR BARU: Some RM1.8mil worth of illegal alcohol were seized by the Customs Department here after a 30-minute high-speed chase with a bonded cargo lorry near the Second-Link.

       Customs director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said the department was able to seize the untaxed alcohol from the lorry with the help of the Iskandar Puteri police at about 1.30pm on Thursday (April 21).

       He said that an officer from the department was also forced to fire seven shots at the tyres of the lorry as it was being driven aggressively and dangerously.

       "A team from the department started following the lorry from the Sultan Iskandar Highway and was stopped several times by other vehicles believed to be working with the syndicate.

       "The team had instructed the lorry to stop but was ignored. At one point, the lorry made a sudden break in the middle of the road before reversing and hitting the front of the team's vehicle, endangering the lives of the officers and the public in the area.

       "As such, one of the officers fired seven shots at the lorry tyres for public safety and to avoid the driver from acting aggressively," he said at a press conference at the Johor Custom Tower here on Saturday (April 23).

       Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said that the raiding team also received back-up from the Iskandar Puteri police patrolling unit, which was also hit by the lorry.

       "The lorry driver later stopped his vehicle at the side of the road before attempting to flee the scene.

       "However, the police and the Customs managed to arrest the 44-year-old local man about 1km from the scene," he said.

       He said the alcohol seized was worth about RM284,000 while the taxes from the beverage amounts to RM1.6mil, bringing the total worth of the illegal alcohol to RM1.8mil.

       The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(e) and Section 136(a) of the Customs Act 1967 and Section 74(1)(d) of the Excise Act 1976.

       Earlier, a video of a man in a Customs Department vehicle was seen firing multiple shots at the tyres of the lorry.

       This comes after the lorry was seen making a sudden break before reversing into the vehicle.