SEPANG: A drug syndicate that planned to smuggle in methamphetamines from the Americas to the Middle East has lost over RM6.6 million worth of the drugs to the Malaysian Customs Department.
The department seized 207kg of the drugs, which were hidden inside a secret compartment in a computer numerical control (CNC) machine.
Department director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin said the seizure was made following a collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry and the Narcotic Control Directorate General.
"Based on information received from them, we flagged the machine, which weighed about 2.5 tonnes, for further inspection at 4.40pm on Oct 6.
"A team from the Central Zone Enforcement Division checked the machine at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Free Commercial Zone," she told reporters on Wednesday.
She said inspections revealed a hidden compartment built into the machine.
"The compartment was filled with plaster and we found 40 packets of crystals inside believed to be methamphetamine.
"In total, we seized 207kg of drugs worth RM6,624,000," she said, adding that this was the largest seizure of drugs made by the Central Zone Unit III Customs Department this year.
She said investigations revealed that the drugs originated from the Americans and were meant to be shipped to the Middle East.
When asked, Anis Rizana declined to elaborate on whether a Latin American drug cartel was behind the smuggling attempt.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, she said two men in their 30s were remanded for attempting to smuggle in 33kg of ganja.
"The two suspects were detained about 1am on Oct 10 at KLIA Terminal 1.
"Based on our checks the suspects came from a flight via a neighbouring country," she said, adding that it found 58 plastic packets containing the drugs in their luggage bags worth RM102,300.
She said the drugs were believed to have originated from the so-called Golden Triangle area.
"The two suspects are believed to be transporters for a drug syndicate.
"Both of them tested positive for drugs," she said, adding that they have been remanded for nine days to help with further investigations.
In another unrelated case, Anis Rizana said her personnel found a box containing 10.12kg of methamphetamine and ketamine, which was left at a check-in scanner at KLIA Terminal 2 about 9pm on Oct 6.
"Checks revealed the drugs were placed in a cardboard box with a flight tag from Kuala Lumpur to Miri.
"We are working on identifying who left this box," she said.