Bidor:A 52-year-old local man was arrested, and 102 cartons of suspected untaxed cigarettes were seized during a police operation at Jalan Sungkai, Taman Aman, near Bidor on Monday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the arrest occurred around 8.15 pm when a team from the General Operations Force 3rd Battalion noticed a white Proton Iswara being driven suspiciously. Upon searching the vehicle, they discovered the cartons containing various brands of cigarettes believed to be smuggled.

Police also confiscated the Proton Iswara, although the total value of the seizure is still being assessed. The suspect admitted during preliminary investigations that he had been in possession of and selling the cigarettes for approximately three years. He claimed to receive a weekly supply from a local man, which he then distributed to small-scale traders in the surrounding area.

The suspect has been remanded for four days to assist in investigations under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. Samples of the seized cigarettes will be sent to the Department of Chemistry Malaysia for analysis, and further investigations are ongoing to determine their source and distribution network.