SEPANG: The Customs Department has foiled a cunning money laundering attempt after hawk-eyed officers detected soft toys containing RM326,000 in cash recently.

Its director-general, Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad, said the botched attempt came with the arrests of two Nigerians suspected of laundering the US$97,500 in undeclared currency in Puchong, Selangor, on Oct 28.

Khazali said the men, in their 20s, were found to have received a package flown by a courier service from the United States that contained four teddy bears stuffed with stockings containing stacks of US$100 notes.

“Our officers found that the currency was authentic,” he said at the department’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport office.

Khazali said the department had yet to determine the two suspects’ motives in smuggling in the large sum of money.

“It could be used for many illegal purposes, but what we are most concerned about is the possibility that it could be to fund terrorism activities.”

He said the two men, who have been in the country for a year, were here on student visas. One of the men was studying accountancy while the other had registered for a course in tourism.

From January until October this year, Khazali said, the department had recorded 
five money laundering cases involving RM2.08 million, most of which had occurred in KLIA.

He said all cases were investigated under Section 28 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and Section 135 of the Customs Act 1967.

Khazali urged the public with information on similar activities to come forward and provide the department with information.

“The identities of 
the informants will be kept confidential and they will be rewarded accordingly with successful arrests.”

On the government’s Goods and Services Tax registrations, Khazali said 122,719 companies had enlisted.

He reminded companies or individuals with businesses that recorded an income threshold of above RM500,000 a year to come forward and register before the government implements GST.

Resource : NST Online