BY IAN MCINTYRE
RANTAU PANJANG: He was deaf and some smugglers found him to be the best
candidate for smuggling in fireworks and sparklers across the border.
Border guards, however, finally got wind that the 30-year-old man was being
used by the syndicate and raided his house at Kampung Banggol Ara in Pasir Mas
yesterday.
A Customs team from the preventive division seized 60 gunny sacks and 17 boxes
of assorted fireworks with a street value of more than RM22,000 in the 12.30am
raid.
The man now faces a fine of up to RM10,000 or 10 times the value of the
smuggled items under the Customs Act 1967.
Preventive division head Ahmad Fadhil Che Musa said the mans arrest indicated
that fireworks smugglers were now using disabled persons to ferry the banned
items.
He said the syndicate hoped that border officials would sympathise with such
people crossing the border and therefore not book them.
Ahmad Fadhil said the breakthrough showed that smugglers were trying numerous
tactics to dupe border authorities, especially with the festive period nearing.
We will not be swayed by sentiment, said Ahmad Fadhil.
All persons, including the disabled, will be checked.
They should know what is right or wrong although they are impaired.
He said the Customs Department will tighten screening at the checkpoints but
conceded, however, that smuggling cannot be totally prevented as the smugglers
use many illegal routes.//Thestar 24 Ogos
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