The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has uncovered the activities of a smuggling syndicate using an abandoned house on the coast near Jelutong Timur on Penang Island to store uncustomed beer. Penang JKDM director Roselan Ramli said a team from the Marine Unit of the Enforcement Division raided the place at 6.30 pm on July 4 after a day-long surveillance revealed no movement at the premises. 'Thorough inspection of the premises found 21,648 cans of beer estimated to be worth RM45,994 with RM205,772 in unpaid taxes. 'Some of the liquor was labelled 'Malaysia Duty Not Paid' (MDNP) for the free zone market or export, while the rest is believed to have been imported illegally as there were no tax stamps. All of this liquor was intended for the northern Peninsular Malaysia market,' he said at a press conference at the customs store in Bagan Jermal here today. Roselan said initial investigations indicate that the owner of the premises passed away a year ago, and the syndicate is believed to have rented the house from the owner's heirs. He said they were conducting further investigations to identify the suspects involved. Meanwhile, Roselan said his department seized more than RM26 million worth of goods, inclusive of unpaid taxes, in 167 cases in the first six months of this year. He said the majority of cases involved cigarette seizures, totalling 80 cases worth RM2.71 million with RM9.2 million in taxes, followed by 54 cases of liquor seizures worth RM7.6 million. 'At the same time, Penang JKDM also cracked three drug cases worth RM997,067 and 22 vehicle cases involving a value of RM1.23 million with taxes amounting to RM2.24 million,' he added. Source: BERNAMA News Agency