KUCHING, 11 Feb (Bernama) - The Sarawak's Royal Malaysian Customs Department successfully defeated attempts to smuggle about three million cigarettes bridge branded Apache Premium Keretek, Absolute Mild and Absolute Mild Menthol worth RM1.6 million including taxes.

Its director Datuk Rusmani Abdul Sukur said tobacco product neighboring countries that try to brought into this country through the Port Senari on February 4 last by declaring a container over 20 feet take load soybeans.

"Based on preliminary information received, the Customs Sarawak only find cigarettes bridge in the container without finding soybean alleged in the container before this," he said in a press conference here on Thursday.

He said there is no any arrests made so far but his office has been to identify agents who are empowered to bring in containers such.

Rusmani said the case was investigated under Section 135 of the Customs Act 1967 which provides a maximum fine of 20 times the value of goods seized or imprisoned for three years or both.

- BERNAMA