PORT KLANG: Counterfeit cigarettes smuggled into Malaysia are mixed with dried leaves of wild plants, and this puts smokers at risk.
Selangor Customs director Datuk Abdul Razak Yaacob said smokers who purchased these contraband cigarettes at dirt-cheap prices were putting their lives in danger.
Counterfeit cigarettes are branded but the tobacco is mixed with other leaves to ensure maximum profit. It comes from overseas through our ports.
ILLEGAL GOODS: Abdul Razak checking some of the contraband items that were seized.
Our men are vigilant and we are working with international firms based in Kuala Lumpur to nab the culprits, he added.
Abdul Razak said through smart partnerships with international firms dealing in business intelligence, the Customs was able to mitigate the risks of smuggling and counterfeiting.
We have a mechanism in place where our Customs intelligence unit works with three such firms in Kuala Lumpur and maintains networking with the Malaysian Tobacco Coalition Manufacturers to share intelligence on the smuggling trend and counterfeit features, he added.
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