Police have busted two drug trafficking attempts involving suspected drug mules at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), leading to the arrest of seven foreign nationals and the seizure of more than 150kg of drugs.
Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar said the first case occurred on April 28 at Terminal One, where four foreign suspects aged between 18 and 27 were detained after four pieces of luggage were flagged during security screening.
Checks on the bags uncovered about 67.2kg of suspected marijuana buds packed in plastic, with an estimated street value of RM5.4 million.
Police said three of the suspects tested positive for drugs, while all four have since been remanded to assist investigations.
In a second incident on April 30 at the same airport, authorities arrested another foreign national aged 20 after two of his bags were detected during scanning procedures.
Inspections revealed 59 packets of suspected cannabis weighing approximately 29.5kg, valued at about RM2.4 million.
The suspect also tested positive for drugs and remains under remand, police said.
Follow-up investigations later led officers to a house in Kota Warisan, Sepang, where two more foreign suspects aged 19 and 25 were arrested, and additional drugs were seized.
Police discovered four more bags containing around 60kg of marijuana buds, bringing the total haul from both cases to approximately 156.7kg, with an estimated value of RM12.6 million.
Authorities believe all suspects were acting as drug mules attempting to transport the drugs out of the country, and were allegedly paid high sums in foreign currencies for each trip.
Police said payments were reportedly as high as around £5,000 (RM26,546) per delivery.
Investigations suggest the drugs were sourced from a neighbouring country, with authorities continuing efforts to dismantle the wider trafficking network.
Police have also reminded the public not to be tempted by offers to carry luggage for strangers, warning that involvement in drug trafficking carries severe legal consequences.
