KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Fifty-five Malaysians were arrested overseas in the first nine months of this year for allegedly acting as drug mules.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said they comprised 50 men and five women.
The arrests took place across 16 different countries and territories, with the highest numbers being in Indonesia (10), Singapore (nine), Cambodia (six), and Taiwan (six).
Other locations included Thailand (five), Belgium (three), Laos (three), and Macau (three). Two suspects were arrested in Hong Kong and South Korea, while single arrests were made in the Philippines, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Myanmar, and Norway.
"The use of members of the public as drug mules is a deeply concerning and growing trend that the NCID is addressing with the utmost seriousness," he said in a statement today.
Hussein added that the department's monitoring has revealed that drug syndicates are constantly seeking new victims and are willing to exploit anyone, regardless of their age, occupation, or background.
These syndicates are known to recruit victims through social media and fake job advertisements, specifically targeting young people, job seekers, students, and individuals with unstable incomes.
He said the victims are lured with promises of lucrative payments ranging from RM1,000 to RM10,000, often including free flight tickets and accommodation, to perform simple tasks that allegedly require no prior experience.
“All of these offers are merely bait to deceive victims into carrying luggage or packages that actually contain dangerous drugs,” Hussein said.
He detailed the syndicates' range of methods, which include concealing drugs in common items like luggage, electronics and food, as well as using courier services and more high-risk techniques like 'body packing'.
The primary destinations for this smuggling are the United Kingdom, several European countries, and several East Asian nations, coinciding with the syndicates' increasing use of regional airports as transit points.
"The types of drugs commonly smuggled include methamphetamine (syabu), MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis, and cocaine, depending on the smuggling route and market demand," Hussein said.
In light of this, the NCID chief urged the public to remain vigilant, not to be easily deceived by fake offers, and to report any suspicious proposals to the police immediately.
"The public is also reminded that the excuse of 'not knowing the contents of the luggage' is not accepted by most countries with strict drug laws, which can include the death penalty or life imprisonment," he said.
Members of the public with information on drug abuse or trafficking can report it via the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222.
