KUALA LUMPUR: One of the five Malaysians arrested in Japan with 5kg of cocaine claimed he was told airport staff had been bribed to ensure they can pass unchecked.
Fuji News Network (FNN) reported the claim on Monday, quoting the 24-year-old male suspect in the drug smuggling attempt through Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
"I was told the airport staff had been paid, so we would not be checked," he was quoted as saying.
However, FNN did not specify which airport he was referring to or confirm whether any bribe had been paid.
The network reported that the five Malaysians were believed to have accepted the offer due to financial difficulties before attempting to smuggle cocaine concealed beneath their shoe insoles.
The case came to light after Japanese Customs officers became suspicious of a suspect wearing shoes with unusually thick soles. A search uncovered the drugs.
Each suspect was believed to have carried about 1kg of cocaine, with 500g hidden in each shoe.
Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan earlier confirmed that two men and three women, all Malaysians, were arrested on Oct 10.
He said police would send an investigation team to Japan to gather further information, including possible links to Malaysian and international drug syndicates.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd