JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 16 — Five Malaysians arrested for concealing five kilograms of cocaine in their shoe soles at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on October 10 are believed to have been drug mules paid RM8,000 each.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the suspects, aged between 19 and 26, were each given the shoes by a drug syndicate that is still being identified.
“We believe they (the suspects) were aware of what they were carrying, which is an illegal substance,” he told a press conference at the Johor Contingent Police Headquarters here today.
He said police were investigating whether all the suspects were directly involved in the syndicate and whether they had previously travelled to other countries using the same modus operandi.
He added that initial checks showed none of the five suspects had a criminal record.
Hussein said all the suspects, including a married couple, were believed to have travelled to Japan for a holiday before being detained by the authorities.
“The group was led by the woman’s husband, and she invited her friends for a trip to Japan, with each given a pair of shoes that had been pre-stuffed with drugs,” he said.
He said another Malaysian, who was not arrested in connection with the case, was a travel agent and had been cleared of involvement.
Hussein previously said checks confirmed that the group had departed from Terminal 2 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Japanese customs authorities found the drugs inside the shoe soles worn by all the suspects.
He said the NCID had sent a team to Japan to investigate and gather details of the case.
On the drug seizure in Laos, he confirmed that the illicit substances transported on a private jet had been ordered by two Filipino nationals.
He said police were working with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to track down the individuals and the syndicate involved.
He also said the Royal Malaysia Police were awaiting confirmation on whether the syndicate involved politicians in the Philippines, as reported by the media there.
On October 1, Laotian police seized 521 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine inside a Learjet private aircraft that had arrived from Subang at Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos.
Following the incident, 13 individuals, including Malaysian, Singaporean and Philippine nationals, were detained by Laotian authorities to assist investigations into the transnational drug trafficking case.
On October 7, police arrested a local man, the owner of the private jet, during a raid at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport. — Bernama