Sabah a hotspot for contraband fags: Customs
Published on: Thursday, May 07, 2015
Kota Marudu: Almost every area in Sabah has been categorised by the Customs Department as hotspots for the distribution and sale of contraband cigarettes.Customs Deputy Director-General (Enforcement and Compliance), Datuk Matrang Suhaili, said the percentage of contraband cigarettes being sold in Sabah surpassed the national percentage of 32.2 per cent."The demand for contraband cigarettes and alcohol in Sabah is high because they are cheaper," he told reporters after launching the state-level 'Ops Pacak 2015', here, Wednesday.
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According to him, three out of 10 packets of cigarettes and three out of 10 cans of alcohol being sold in the country are contraband. "The government loses RM2.3 billion yearly in taxes which could not be collected due to smuggling activities," he said.Meanwhile, Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Awang Sahari EM Nadzeer gave the assurance that the police are always on the alert for any eventuality which may jeopardise security in the State. "Sabah police are always on standby for any security threat, including threats posed by the so-called IS militant group," he said in Kota KInabalu, Wednesday.
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He was commenting on the recent arrest of 12 individuals suspected to be involved with the IS militant group in Selangor and attempting to create chaos in the country. Awang, however, declined to elaborate if the remainder of the group were in Sabah.
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