THE Royal Malaysian Customs Department smashed a syndicate involved in the illegal processing and bottling of alcoholic beverages following a raid on a factory in Kuala Sawah in Rantau, near Seremban on March 16.

Customs director-general Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said after receiving public tip off and carrying out surveillance, a team from the Central Zone Enforcement Division raided the factory, suspected to be manufacturing fake booze of various brands.

“During the raid, the eight workers fled after they detected the presence of Customs personnel through several closed-circuit cameras installed in the plant.

“We believe this privately-owned brewery on a three or four-acre site has been in operation just two or three months ago and fake alcoholic beverages are being processed here,” he told reporters at a press conference here today.

He said an investigation is still ongoing to track down the syndicate’s masterminds.

Latif said the quantity of illegal brew seized was estimated at 59,104 litres worth RM344,644.80, with unpaid duties of RM1.952 million. The total seizure was worth RM3.12 million.

He said among items seized were several brewery plant equipment, fermentation tanks, labelling and trademark printing machines as well as laboratory equipment worth RM1 million.

The syndicate is believed to have brought in the equipment from abroad.

“To avoid detection by the authorities the syndicate operates from a warehouse in a remote area,” he said adding that the German brand fake alcoholic products, targeted at foreigners, were sold below the actual market price.

The case is being investigated under Section 74 (1) (f) of the Excise Act 1976. – Bernama, March 23, 2021.