In a major anti-corruption operation, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (SPRM) has successfully dismantled a vape smuggling ring operating in collaboration with corrupted customs officials at KLIA. The operation, codenamed Operation Airways, led to the arrest of 14 individuals, including six customs officers and eight civilians, and the seizure of over 120,000 vape units worth millions of ringgit in unpaid taxes.
In a major crackdown on corruption, the Malaysia n Anti-Corruption Commission ( SPRM ) has dismantled a smuggling ring operating within customs enforcement at Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA ). Operation Airways , a three-month long intelligence operation by SPRM 's Intelligence Division, resulted in the arrest of six customs officers and eight civilians, including six company directors, in raids conducted around KLIA and the capital city.
Two lorries leaving the KLIA cargo inspection center were intercepted, leading to simultaneous raids on two warehouses belonging to the implicated companies. A joint operation with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Enforcement Division uncovered 32,000 vape devices worth an estimated RM1.9 million in unpaid taxes inside the seized lorries. At one of the warehouses, authorities discovered 90,000 vape units valued at RM5.4 million in unpaid taxes to JKDM. Another warehouse yielded tens of thousands more vape units, also involving millions of ringgit in unpaid taxes to JKDM. Initial findings indicate a loss of RM8 million in tax revenue for the country, with authorities expressing concern over the potential health risks posed by the smuggled products.Sources revealed that the smuggled vape devices were not declared and no documentation was found, suggesting a modus operandi involving airfreight containers and bribery of enforcement officers. Allegedly, officers involved were receiving thousands of ringgit per container without undergoing scanning or inspections. SPRM Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed the arrests, stating that the case is being investigated under Sections 16 and 17 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. All six customs officers, four company directors, and two individuals have been remanded for four days until January 25, 2025. One company director was remanded for five days until January 26, 2025, while another director was released on SPRM bail. The remand orders were issued by Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin after SPRM's application to the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court. All suspects, aged between 20 and 60, were apprehended between 8 pm yesterday and 1 am today in the Klang Valley and Putrajaya. The SPRM also seized approximately RM250,000 in cash and various luxury items, including watches, earrings, a chain, bracelets, rings, a pouch, handbags, a belt, a hard drive, a monitor, two CPUs, and two lorries
Vapes Smuggling Corruption SPRM Customs KLIA Operation Airways Malaysia
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