23 customs officers to face charges over RM2bil KLIA smuggling ring

MACC believes a group of customs officers conspired with a gang smuggling cigarettes and liquor through KLIA.

PETALING JAYA: Twenty-three customs officers and personnel are to be charged in six sessions courts nationwide until June 6 for accepting gratification while being public servants.

Bernama reported that they will be charged under Section 17 (a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and Section 165 of the Penal Code.

The MACC said two of the officers had already been charged in court.

All of them were arrested through Ops Samba 2.0, conducted from March 11-25.

The operation, led by the MACC, was conducted together with the Inland Revenue Board and Bank Negara Malaysia to combat corrupt enforcement agency officers working with smugglers.

In a statement today, the anti-graft agency said the operation focused on customs officers on duty in the cargo section at KLIA. It believed that as much as RM2 billion was lost in tax revenue.

“This is a huge loss in the country’s revenue and will have a continuous negative impact on the national economy if not curbed,” it said.

In the operation, MACC arrested 34 officers and personnel, along with 27 individuals and company owners.

The MACC said the officers and men conspired with a smuggling gang in importing and selling contraband cigarettes and liquor.

Following the arrests, the MACC’s anti-money laundering division also seized mobile phones, laptops and eight luxury vehicles.

The commission said it had also frozen a total of 231 bank accounts containing RM18 million belonging to companies and individuals, including mule accounts.

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