The Royal Malaysian Customs Department seized over RM161.7 million worth of illicit drugs across four operations in Sepang and Perlis.
NILAI: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) seized 1,194.56kg of various drugs worth RM161.667 million in four separate cases in Sepang, Selangor, and Perlis in September and October.
Customs director-general Datuk Seri Amran Ahmad said the drugs seized comprised 753.91kg of methamphetamine, 33kg of cannabis, and 407.65kg of heroin and cocaine combined.
He said the operation led to the arrest of two local men, aged 27 and 47, who are believed to be export cargo management agents, to assist in the investigation.
“On Sept 26, Customs inspected 16 boxes in the cargo section of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) destined for Australia and found 285 plastic packets containing white crystalline powder suspected to be drugs. The substance weighed 293.60kg and was valued at RM14.68 million, with the packets found among boxes of vehicle spare parts.
“For the second case, Customs found two sacks containing 33kg of cannabis worth RM99,000 concealed beneath an illegal jetty along Sungai Perlis during a raid on Oct 1,” he said at a press conference here today.
Amran said the operation continued on Oct 10 at a hut in a Siamese cemetery in Jejawi, Perlis, where officers found 17 brown boxes left inside.
He said Customs found 228 packets of various colours suspected to contain methamphetamine during an inspection of the boxes. The drugs weighed an estimated 460.31kg and were valued at RM23,015,500.
“On Oct 12, following intelligence gathered at MASkargo KLIA, Customs inspected a wooden crate and found sacks containing 161kg of heroin and 246.65kg of cocaine, valued at RM123.8725 million in total, inside a compressor machine bound for Dhaka, Bangladesh,” he said.
Amran said the cases are being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.