Customs officers raided a store at Jalan Pemimpin for contraband cigarettes on Sep 11 where they found seven pallets stacked with 73 boxes of cigarettes.

They seized 87,940 packets of cigarettes and arrested Chia Choon Hock, 47, who was found on the premises.

Customs also uncovered 146 gas burners which were being used as cover load. Chia admitted that he had declared the seven pallets as gas burners, but they were just used to pad the top and bottom of each box with cartons of cigarettes sandwiched in between.

Chia was at the store to unload and repack the cigarettes for delivery on the day of his arrest. He was sentenced to three years' jail for his involvement in the case.

The duty and GST for the contraband amounts to more than $650,000.