A smuggling syndicate’s tactic of using a luxury Toyota Vellfire to transport contraband was uncovered after the General Operations Force (PGA) seized 60,000 sticks of untaxed white cigarettes near the Pasir Tumboh Bridge here early today.
The raid, carried out by the 7th Battalion Special Team under Op Taring Wawasan at about 1.30am, also led to the arrest of a 37-year-old man.
Southeast Brigade PGA commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the operation followed intelligence gathered by the force, which led personnel to stop a Toyota Vellfire at the location.
“An inspection of the vehicle found several boxes containing 60,000 sticks of untaxed white cigarettes,” he said in a statement today.
Besides the cigarettes, authorities also seized the Toyota Vellfire, two mobile phones belonging to the driver and cash, bringing the total value of the seizure to more than RM210,000.
Ahmad Radzi said a urine screening conducted on the suspect also returned a positive result, while the case was being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967.
Preliminary questioning found that the suspect had been working as a full-time driver for the past three years for an employer known as Bos Jue.
The suspect reportedly received RM200 for every delivery and claimed that this was his first arrest in connection with the transportation of smuggled cigarettes.
He also told investigators that the vehicle used in the operation belonged to his employer.
The latest seizure highlights how smugglers are increasingly using seemingly ordinary or high-end vehicles to move contraband, making enforcement operations and intelligence gathering crucial in disrupting such activities.
