Efforts to strengthen security and enforcement at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) have not stopped drug syndicates from attempting to use the country’s main entry point to smuggle narcotics.
A total of 600.3kg of various drugs worth RM37.5 million were seized in a series of raids conducted between August 4 and Tuesday.
The operations also uncovered an alleged drug distribution network involving methamphetamine and heroin base in Ampang.
Selangor Police Chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the raids resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects aged between 22 and 54, including foreign nationals believed to have been recruited as drug mules.
“They were allegedly lured by offers of lucrative jobs through WhatsApp and Telegram and instructed to carry luggage to certain countries.
“They were approached by unidentified individuals and offered opportunities to come to Malaysia. The initial lure was job offers through social media, with some claiming they were unaware that the luggage they were carrying contained drugs,” he said at a press conference today.
Shazeli said the arrest of a 39-year-old foreign man by the Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) at KLIA after he was allegedly caught smuggling 7.7kg of cocaine believed to be destined for the local market also led investigators to uncover the drug distribution activities in Ampang.
“The drugs seized comprised 96.1kg of cannabis, 408.6kg of methamphetamine, 87.9kg of heroin base and 7.7kg of cocaine,” he said.
Police also seized a Toyota Hilux, a Honda City and RM2,704 in cash during the operations.
Shazeli said three suspects have been charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, while another two were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
One suspect was released after investigators found insufficient evidence to establish his involvement in the syndicate.
