SEPANG: The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Customs Department has thwarted three separate attempts to smuggle Methamphetamine (Meth) totaling 27kg, worth RM1.9 million, into the country.
Customs deputy director-general (Enforcement/Compliance) Datuk Zulkifli Yahya said the drugs were flown in directly from Chennai, India via KLIA and KLIA2 by four male "tourists", with Kuala Lumpur being their final destination.
The four suspects, aged between 23 and 53, are all Indian nationals. One of them, aged 43, had entered this country eight times as a tourist.
They were detained by the KLIA Customs as they were going through the airport scanner system
"The first case involved a man from Chennai who flew Malaysian Airlines flight no. MH181 to KLIA on 20 Oct 2017.
"We detained him at 7.25am when we discovered the hidden drugs in his luggage. He was trying to smuggle 5kg worth of Meth, worth RM350,000," Zulkifli said at a press conference, here today.
Also present was the new director of KLIA Customs, Abdul Wahabi Abdullah.
Interestingly, the man in the second case, according to Zulkifli, tried to hide his drugs in 35 fancy, cartoon-inspired mini bags that were well placed in his luggage bags.
"We detained him at 5.20am on Nov 2. He took the Air Asia flight from Chennai and arrived at KLIA2," he said.
"When we scanned his two bags, we discovered 8.4kg of Meth, worth RM588,000."
The third case, involving two men aged 43 and 52, was the biggest catch.
Despite the suspects' attempt to hide 14kg of Meth in two big cans of biscuits filled with tumeric powder, the KLIA airport scanner showed a different colour code for the hidden drugs.
"I can't tell you what is the colour code for drugs on our airport scanner, but when we scanned their four bags, two of their bags - where the cans of biscuits were placed, the scanner read them as drugs," Zulkifli said.
He confirmed that the drugs were meant for the domestic market. But as the cases are still currently under investigation, it is not ascertained if a local syndicate is involved.
The cases are being investigated under Section 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a death penalty if found guilty.
One of the suspects has since been charged while the rest had been remanded.