Malaysian Customs Seizes Drugs Worth RM300 Million

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has successfully dismantled international drug trafficking syndicates, seizing a substantial amount of narcotics valued at RM300.72 million. The operations, conducted between April and June, resulted in the confiscation of 4.83 tons of various drugs.

According to the Director-General of Customs, Datuk Amran Ahmad, the five cases involved distinct syndicates employing diverse tactics to evade detection. These methods included submitting false declarations for goods and concealing drugs within everyday items such as mixed food, soap, hair gel, and sponges.

One of the largest seizures involved heroin worth RM169.83 million, discovered in a shipping container at Port Klang on June 15. The container, declared as juice, held approximately 3,396.6 liters of a liquid suspected to be heroin. This shipment was reportedly transiting from a West Asian country en route to Australia.

Further operations led to the seizure of 161.39 kg of cannabis bud valued at RM12.91 million at a logistics company near Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on May 18. The drugs were hidden in boxes declared as food items destined for Europe. In addition, 220.30 kg of suspected MDMA pills worth RM33.045 million were found in a warehouse at the KLIA Free Trade Zone on May 12, concealed within boxes labeled as machine spare parts. Another significant bust included 1,049.50 kg of cannabis bud valued at RM83.96 million at Port Klang on April 9, disguised within boxes of vinyl floor boards but declared as vinyl tiles, with the intention of re-exporting to Europe.

In Sepang, Customs also seized 4,760 vape cartridges containing suspected methamphetamine, valued at RM1.19 million, during an operation at Ground Team Red (GTR) in the KLIA Free Trade Zone on June 10. The modus operandi across these cases varied, but all involved false declarations to mislead authorities.

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The goods were imported from a country in West Asia in transit before being sent to Australia as the final destination.