‘Fully licensed’ Sarawak brewery queries anti-smuggling raid on warehouse

Sarawak brewery owner Vincent Lee said the brewery is fully licensed to produce its craft beer brand 1602, and that all duties had been paid. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A Sarawak brewery owner has questioned a raid by police on the company’s warehouse in Kuching for suspected smuggling, saying its products are brewed in Kuching and were not imported.

Vincent Lee, founder of Sarawak homegrown craft beer brand 1602, said the raid on Friday (July 3) was conducted on instruction of federal police, the Borneo Post reported.

He said he was later informed that authorities might investigate the company under Customs Act provisions on evasion of customs duty and unlawful possession, handling, or export of contraband or forfeited goods.

However, Lee said: “Every 1602 product is legally brewed in Kuching and all applicable duties and taxes have been duly paid”, adding that its products were not imported and that the company had the licences required to brew, wholesale, and sell the beverages in the country.

“In these circumstances, the company cannot understand how products lawfully manufactured in Malaysia and fully tax-compliant could be treated as goods suspected of being smuggled,” he was quoted as saying.

He said the company would not hesitate to pursue appropriate legal action should there be credible evidence of abuse of power, malicious or selective enforcement, or any conduct inconsistent with the law or due process.

Lee said officers from Bukit Aman had indicated their intention to seal the warehouse and seize beer products stored there.

Lee’s statement follows a report that police had seized RM26.6 million in “contraband beer and heavy equipment” in what was described as one of Sarawak’s biggest smuggling busts.

Yusri Hassan Basri, a senior Bukit Aman officer, was quoted as saying the raid uncovered “tens of thousands of cartons of 1602 beer, on which duty was not paid. “Three Indonesian men, all aged around 35, were arrested during the operation,” he was quoted as saying.