Police detained nine men and seized 553 boxes of counterfeit liquor bearing luxury brands with an estimated value of RM1.6 million including unpaid tax.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the men were arrested during a raid on a factory in Kinrara industrial area, Bandar Kinrara, here last Saturday.
He said five of the suspects were from Myanmar, aged between 26 and 57.
Though Malaysian law forbids Muslims from imbibing alcoholic beverages, the rest of the population is free to do so. Licensing laws for the sale of alcohol are regulated by local municipal councils, however, and will vary from state to state.
Major tourist and metropolitan hubs, such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, and Melaka, generally have a more concentrated availability of retail sales of alcohol, but in more remote areas you may find that Chinese-Malaysian businesses are more apt to stock a selection of alcoholic beverages than others.
This is particularly the case in the northeastern states like Kelantan and Terengganu, where even a bottle of beer may be few and far between – and when you find it, don't be surprised if the price is significantly more than you are used to. Chinese restaurants and supermarkets are your best bet – and they'll often happily sell you take away as well – though not all guesthouses will allow you to bring alcohol into your room.
"Investigations revealed that the liquor was smuggled from a neighbouring country and meant to be distributed to retailers and entertainment centres on the Klang Valley and in the northern states.
"We also believed that the liquor was smuggled into the country via a northern state and the syndicate had been active for the past two years," he told a press conference at the Bukit Jalil Police Station, here today.
Also seized were two lorries, a forklift and two cars totalling RM186,000, believed to be used by the syndicate to distribute the counterfeit liquor.
Acryl Sani said the police also seized 2,000 fake Customs stamp duty stickers, believed to be used on the counterfeit liquor.
"All the suspects have been remanded until Wednesday to assist in the investigation under Section 135 (1) (d) of the Customs Act 1967 and Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63," he added.
