Today's top Malaysian news, sport and lifestyle.
Malaysia's MACC and Customs Department are establishing a special task force to combat corruption and revenue leakages at strategic ports. The maritime industry has welcomed the move as essential for ensuring fair competition and protecting government income.
Authorities at Rantau Panjang apprehended a lorry driver and his assistant transporting illegally imported plant saplings valued at RM85,000 from Thailand in a significant border enforcement operation.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Royal Malaysian Customs Department are establishing a task force to enhance oversight at key ports, addressing smuggling, tax evasion, and document fraud.
Vietnamese police have charged four people, including three jewellery shop owners and a gem certification worker, in an expanding investigation into a cross-border diamond smuggling operation allegedly coordinated by Indian nationals from Hong Kong.
An Indian national faces trial in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30 for allegedly smuggling nearly 1,500 diamonds into Vietnam across five trips. The case also involves bribery and fraud allegations against multiple co-defendants.
Kelantan police have arrested a 29-year-old man suspected of cigarette smuggling after a high-speed chase in Kampung Pulau Panjang, Kota Baru. Officers recovered 400,000 cigarette sticks estimated at RM813,000, one of the state's significant contraband busts this year.
A 22-year-old part-time driver in Kelantan was arrested while transporting 700kg of suspected smuggled durians. The young man earned between RM60 and RM70 per day for the illegal operation.
Thai and Filipino women were arrested at Phuket International Airport after customs officials discovered more than 32kg of cannabis flowers hidden in their luggage during outbound passenger checks.
Russian national Sergei Chalabari, 30, was arrested at Phuket International Airport on July 8 after customs officials discovered 17.6kg of cannabis hidden in two suitcases he was attempting to take out of Thailand.
Malaysian customs authorities have broken up two major smuggling syndicates operating in Kuala Lumpur, recovering contraband valued at RM2.57 million including illicit liquor and chewing tobacco during coordinated operations in May.
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Malaysia's Customs Department has confiscated more than RM800,000 in untaxed cigarettes during four simultaneous raids across Terengganu and Kelantan, targeting both local and imported contraband products.
Thai authorities arrested a 31-year-old Myanmar national at the Mae Sai border after discovering over 23 million baht concealed in food cartons. The cash was allegedly being smuggled across the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in violation of currency controls.
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Malaysian Customs has confiscated 72 advanced artificial intelligence servers valued at RM52.9 million from the KLIA Free Trade Zone in a significant crackdown on illegal technology trafficking.
Thai customs officers at the Mae Sai border crossing have seized more than 23 million baht in Thai banknotes concealed inside snack product boxes in a vehicle heading to Myanmar, arresting the Myanmar national driver.
An e-hailing driver in Klang has been fined RM101,750 after being convicted of smuggling 5,500 bottles of zam-zam water into Malaysia through West Port, a case that highlights ongoing enforcement against prohibited imports.