Johor customs crack three drug trafficking cases worth RM25.5 million

NILAI - The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) foiled three cases of international drug trafficking with a combined seizure of 370.8 kilogrammes of drugs worth RM25.5 million in raids held this month.

In the biggest haul, deputy director-general of Customs (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Sazali Mohamad said the Customs operations team seized Ecstasy pills (MDMA) with a gross weight of 269.75 kg worth RM19.8 million.

In the raid on a petrol station in Damansara, Selangor, at 9.30 pm on Oct 20, Customs also arrested two men aged 44 and 57 in a lorry before finding two wooden crates of Ecstasy pills hidden in several sacks.

"Also seized was a Toyota Vellfire and a lorry. The modus operandi of this syndicate is to hoodwink the authorities by hiding the drugs in wooden boxes declared as machinery.

"Preliminary investigations show this clandestine operation used an air route from a European country, with transit in a Middle East country before arriving in this country as the final destination,” he said at the Narcotics Branch of the Customs headquarters in Kampung Jijan here today.

Based on the weight of the drugs, a total of 1.35 million doses were eliminated and the case is being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Meanwhile, in a different case, Customs arrested a 42-year-old man at a location in Petaling Jaya, Selangor at 4.30 pm on Oct 11, along with a transport truck containing four boxes of ketamine weighing 91.05 kg worth RM5.4 million.

"In this case, the merchandise was declared as ‘tiles adhesive’ and changed the recipient’s address at the last minute, before delivery was made. The merchandise was imported by air from a European country and arrived in this country as the final destination,” he said.

The drugs could have supplied a total of 450,000 doses and the case being investigated under Section 39(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Regarding another case on Oct 13, Customs seized 10kg methamphetamine worth RM330,000 hidden in packets of dog food.

"Following the arrest of a 42-year-old local man, investigations led us to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Cargo Complex with a shipment addressed to a Petaling Jaya location," he said

He said the modus operandi was to address the dog food to an empty house which was uninhabited.

The cargo was imported by air from a European country with Malaysia named as the final destination.

The seized drugs were estimated to produce 50,000 doses and the case was investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - BERNAMA