KUALA LUMPUR – The Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized 164,800kg of beef and pork worth an estimated RM2.6 million in three separate raids.
Customs Department Central Zone assistant director-general Norlela Ismail said in a statement that the seizures were made through an operation carried out from December 27, 2023, until January 17.
She said that in the first raid, conducted on December 27, the department foiled an attempt to smuggle in frozen meat, believed to be pork, through two containers from a neighbouring country at Northport, Port Klang.
She said an inspection found the frozen food weighing 56,000kg, with unpaid taxes estimated at RM840,000.
“In the second raid, the department seized 24,300kg of frozen beef for not having an import licence and for trying to smuggle the meat by using a container heading south of the peninsula from Westport, Port Klang,” she said.
She said the third raid on a warehouse in Jalan Sg Lalang, Semenyih, led to the biggest seizure, with 85,500kg of frozen pork worth an estimated RM1.54 million found in three containers.
“An inspection of the three containers and the questioning of the two Myanmar workers who were detained led to the discovery of the suspected frozen pork meat, which has not been taxed.
Norlela said the syndicate involved did not have an import permit and misused the facility of transferring goods by land as provided by the department.
“These cases are investigated under Section 135 (1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for keeping or possessing uncustomed or prohibited goods,” she said. – January 24, 2024