GEORGE TOWN: Police recovered a RM18,720 worth of heroin from a Pakistani man, suspected to be a drug mule, who swallowed 19 packets of heroin and smuggled the contraband into the country.
The ploy, however, did not go far when Malaysian police received a tip-off from the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the man’s activity on Monday.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said following up on the information, police raided a house in Bukit Bintang at noon the same day.
He said an X-ray examination was carried out and police found the packets of heroin, weighing about 210 grammes in the man's stomach.
Mohmad said the man was believed to have swallowed the drugs in Lahore, Pakistan before travelling to Malaysia, 24 hours prior to his arrest.
“We believe the suspect had brought the drugs in to be sold here. We are still investigating if he is a mule, hired by international drug trafficking syndicate.
“Most of those who smuggled drugs into the country are tourists, and cases like this (swallowing the drugs) are rarely detected.
"The last known case here was in 2016.” he told a press conference at the Penang police headquarters here today.
Mohmad added that a urine test conducted on the suspect yielded negative result.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Mohmad said police seized a luggage, bound for Sibu, Sarawak, which was filled with ecstasy pills at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Wednesday afternoon.
He said police were curious after they found out that it was not declared.
“We checked further and found 500 ecstasy pills, weighing 246.8 grammes, inside.
“We are still investigating the sender and recipient of the item.” he added.