PUTRAJAYA, Oct 9 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department thwarted four attempts to smuggle over a tonne of cannabis, valued at about RM98 million, in separate operations around the Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 recently.
KLIA Customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said the success came from the swift action of the department’s enforcers, in collaboration with other security agencies, including the Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).
He added that five local men have been arrested in the investigation under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
“These four cases involved attempts to smuggle cannabis overseas, particularly to the European market, using various tactics, including disguising the drugs as commercial goods,” he said in a statement today.
In the first case, on October 1, a local man was detained at KLIA Terminal 1 after being flagged for outstanding duties and taxes, prompting a baggage inspection that revealed 21.04kg of cannabis worth around RM2.06 million.
“The suspect was recently charged in court,” he said.
Zulkifli said that in the second case on September 27, authorities intercepted 21 packages of drugs weighing 220.32kg and valued at RM21.59 million in a courier truck at the KLIA export gate. The truck was entering the KLIA Free Zone for export to a European country.
In the third case on September 29 and 30, he said raids at two logistics warehouses in Shah Alam and Subang Jaya uncovered 52 boxes of drugs from four separate consignments, with a total weight of 464.58kg and an estimated value of RM45.53 million.
Zulkifli said that in the fourth case on October 3, authorities seized 294.35kg of cannabis, valued at RM28.85 million, at the KLIA Free Zone export gate. The drugs were being transported overseas in 28 packages via a courier truck.
He added that in the second to fourth cases, the syndicate is believed to have concealed the drugs in boxes labelled as premium towel brands, sealed in airtight plastic to evade detection by authorities.
“Four men, including courier truck drivers and the owners of the logistics warehouses, have been detained to assist with the investigation into the three cases,” he said.
