Bernama reported central zone customs assistant director-general Norlela Ismail as saying 18,500kg of rice, worth RM169,400, was discovered in a raid on a container at Westports in July.

Norlela said the rice was believed to be illegally shipped in from Pakistan, and falsely declared as cashew nuts and parboiled basmati rice.

“Rice requires an import permit issued by Padiberas Nasional Bhd under Item 25, Part I, Third Schedule of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023,” she said at a press conference today.

Norlela said the department also separately foiled an attempt to smuggle 300,000kg of e-waste worth RM1.65 million after inspecting 13 containers at Westports in September.

She said the e-waste was smuggled from a European country, falsely declared as aluminium alloy.

“E-waste is classified as hazardous waste and its import requires approval under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal,” she said.

In yet another case, Norlela said customs seized 728,972 sticks of white and kretek cigarettes worth RM608,803 in raids on Oct 22 and 24, and Nov 8.

The contraband was found in three unoccupied residential properties in Hulu Langat, Kajang and Bandar Sri Damansara.

“It is believed that the cigarettes belong to multiple syndicates using the houses as storage facilities for distribution in the local market,” she said.

Norlela said on Nov 5, Selangor customs seized 100 plastic bags suspected of containing 3,000kg of snuff tobacco, worth RM8.44 million, in an inspection of a container at Westports.

“The container was falsely declared as ‘various mixed goods’ in an attempt to evade detection,” she said.