Massive cigarette smuggling ring busted in Tanah Merah raid

A hidden village house held RM1M in contraband cigarettes—now investigators are closing in. The syndicate’s leader, ‘Mat Lantai,’ is already behind bars.

, and Administrator

2025 December 29 . 12:29 PM

1 min read

This is an edited picture. In this image there is a woman with black t-shirt is sitting. On the... — This is an edited picture. In this image there is a woman with black t-shirt is sitting. On the right side of the image there is a woman sitting and holding the object. At the back there is a door and there is a railing and wall. At the bottom there are cigarettes on the floor and there is a banner and there is text on the banner.

Massive cigarette smuggling ring busted in Tanah Merah raid

A major smuggling operation was dismantled in Tanah Merah after authorities seized over 1.1 million illegal cigarettes. The raid, carried out on December 7, uncovered a storage site linked to a cross-border syndicate. No arrests were made at the scene, but investigations are ongoing.

The operation took place at 2.10pm in a village house within Kampung Pasir Panji. Officials discovered the cigarettes hidden inside, believed to have entered Malaysia via Sungai Golok. The contraband was destined for local markets, including the Klang Valley and Kelantan.

The seized cigarettes had an estimated street value of nearly RM1 million. Authorities later identified the smuggling ringleader as a 42-year-old Malaysian man known as 'Mat Lantai'. He and seven other suspects were arrested in Jambi, Indonesia, in connection with the case. Customs is investigating the incident under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. The agency continues to collaborate with border control partners to tackle cross-border criminal activity.

The raid disrupted a large-scale smuggling network operating between Malaysia and Indonesia. With the cigarettes confiscated and key suspects detained, authorities aim to prevent further illegal trade. The case remains under active investigation.