The Terengganu Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) successfully intercepted a major smuggling operation, seizing 850,000 sticks of illicit white and kretek cigarettes. The raid took place last month at a residential premises in Taman Sepakat Indah, Kuala Rompin, Pahang. Terengganu Customs Director Hasbollah Din confirmed that the operation was carried out by the Kemaman Enforcement Branch’s Marine Enforcement Team as part of the “Operasi PETESAN Siri 1/2026.”
Acting on intelligence reports, the enforcement team moved in on the residential property at approximately 8:00 pm on 11 February. Upon searching the premises, officers discovered a vast quantity of various cigarette brands suspected to be prohibited items under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023. The total value of the seizure, including unpaid duties and taxes, has been estimated at RM356,259.64, with the physical value of the cigarettes alone amounting to RM72,747.60.
According to Hasbollah, the syndicate’s modus operandi involved using quiet residential homes as temporary storage facilities for uncustomed goods. By hiding the contraband in housing estates rather than industrial warehouses, the smugglers hoped to evade detection by the authorities and blend into the local community. All seized items have been confiscated to assist in the ongoing investigation into the supply chain and those responsible for the distribution.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, which pertains to the possession or storage of uncustomed or prohibited import goods. This is a serious offence that carries heavy penalties for those found guilty in a court of law. Convicted individuals face a minimum fine of RM100,000 or ten times the value of the goods, whichever is greater, and up to twenty times the value or RM500,000.
In addition to the substantial financial penalties, offenders may also face a maximum prison sentence of five years, or both a fine and imprisonment. The Terengganu Customs Department has reiterated its commitment to monitoring coastal and inland smuggling routes to protect national revenue and public health. This latest seizure highlights the continuous efforts of the Marine Enforcement Team to disrupt illegal trade activities crossing state borders between Terengganu and Pahang.
