HIGHER cigarette taxes will only make smuggling more rewarding and corruption harder to root out, warned former Sarawak police chief Datuk Dr Yusoff Nook.
In a statement today, Yusoff, who is also a qualified lawyer, said the illegal cigarette trade operates through sophisticated criminal networks with complex distribution systems that span multiple points of entry across the country.
“Illegal cigarettes are being brought in through various channels, from ports to coastal routes and even unchecked land passageways.
Once inside, these products are cleverly distributed nationwide through a network that can only exist with the involvement of organised crime and, regrettably, corruption among those guarding our borders,” he said.
He added that the illegal tobacco trade is a major source of funding for criminal syndicates, which use the proceeds to expand into other illicit activities.
“Illegal cigarette smuggling finances wider criminal enterprises, from prostitution and illegal gambling to racketeering and money laundering.
“This trade doesn’t just harm the economy; it perpetuates corruption and weakens our national institutions,” Datuk Dr Yusoff added.
Yusoff was referring to to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks that true independence means freeing Malaysia from corruption and smuggling cartels, saying that the illegal cigarette trade lies at the intersection of both.
“(Anwar) is right. We cannot talk about integrity or national renewal while smuggling cartels continue to operate freely,” he continued.
“When corruption perception is rising and the illegal market remains lucrative, any policy that increases profit opportunities for smugglers, such as a tax hike, risks worsening the problem.
“Higher cigarette taxes will only make smuggling more rewarding and corruption harder to root out.”
Between January 1 and August 2025, enforcement officials successfully seized RM232.5 mil worth of contraband—an outcome of coordinated efforts and strategic operations conducted across Malaysia.
Yusoff further urged the government to take a holistic approach by sustaining enforcement momentum, strengthening border integrity and ensuring that fiscal and public health policies do not inadvertently empower criminal syndicates.
“The illegal cigarette trade is not a small-time crime. It is a complex web of corruption, profit and power. Combating it must remain a national priority,” he added. ‒ Focus Malaysia
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.