THE national anti-graft agency has started investigating several officials in the Customs Department for helping companies abuse their import licences to smuggle liquor and cigarettes into the country, said sources.

They said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had instructed the department to hand over information on the matter.

“MACC has asked the Customs Department to hand over the names of companies that have import licences since 2017.

“The commission will investigate the details of these companies before taking further action,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

Last Saturday, The Malaysian Insight reported that at least six companies suspected of abusing their import licences to smuggle liquor and cigarettes into the country were being monitored by MACC.

Sources said these companies were allegedly working with Customs Department officers to avoid paying excise duties.

These companies are operating out of the Klang Valley.

MACC’s interest in the matter came about after other Customs sources revealed that some high-level officers were aiding these companies to smuggle liquor and cigarettes by approving new import licences in exchange for cash.

According to the source today, MACC was also looking into how these companies obtained their import licences.

Previously, a Customs source told The Malaysian Insight there are about 500 new pending applications for new import licences, adding that the applicants are new, without any capital nor any permanent premises.

“They are allowed to import liquor and cigarettes worth millions of ringgit. These companies exist only in name.   

“After getting their licences, these companies bring in cigarettes and liquor from other countries into duty-free zones on the pretext of exporting the items to other destinations overseas.

“But the contraband is then smuggled into the Malaysian market, without paying any duty. They do this with the help of several Customs officers.

“The companies involved will wind up after making millions of ringgit in profit, only to resurface later, using a different name and a separate board line-up,” said the source. – March 28, 2019.