Vape ring had international links, says MACC

 

MACC raids last week led to the arrest of 14 suspects in a vape smuggling ring that had cost the country about RM8 million in lost tax revenue.

PETALING JAYA: 

A vape smuggling syndicate which paid bribes of up to RM6,000 a day among Customs officers, had an international network to produce false Customs declarations, according to Azam Baki, head of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission.

Six Customs officers were among 14 people recently arrested by MACC in an operation which crippled a vape smuggling syndicate at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport cargo centre.

Azam said they were all in the WK19 to WK22 civil service salary grades. “Investigations are going on to identify the other suspects. For now, no new arrests are being planned,” he said.

Several case-related moveable assets were seized in the raids and 12 bank accounts frozen, he said. A range of documents, bills and receipts were also seized.

Azam Baki.

Azam said the smuggling syndicate is believed to have an international network to make false declarations to mislead the country’s authorities.

The syndicate’s tactics made it difficult for the authorities to detect the goods, with the bribes paid making it even harder, resulting in the goods not being inspected.

He said the goods were brought into Malaysia using false declarations from the source country. The goods were stated as lithium ion batteries and were not declared.

MACC’s intelligence division identified the flights which brought the vape units from Macau and Hong Kong, but efforts are continuing to identify from which country the goods were smuggled, he said.

All those arrested were men aged in their 20 to 60s. They were detained in raids conducted around KLIA and Putrajaya. The syndicate’s efforts have cost the country an estimated RM8 million loss in tax revenue.

Customs suspects transferred

The six officers recently detained by MACC have been transferred to non-critical divisions of the Customs from today (Jan 24) and would not be stationed at KLIA again until investigations are completed, Customs director-general Anis Rizana Zainudin said.

Anis said the Customs would not protect officers involved in misconduct, breaches of integrity, or corruption. - FMT