BUTTERWORTH: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department successfully seized 7,078 gm of methamphetamine worth RM1.06 million that was smuggled in electronic circuit boards for shipment to an Oceania country and detained two businessmen in a raid in Penang and Selangor between Nov 2 and 6.
Customs deputy director-general (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Johari Alifiah said based on a tip-off and intelligence findings, the department conducted a check at a courier company at Nyaman Mutiara Industrial Park, Bayan Lepas, at 12.45 pm on Nov 2 and seized eight parcels declared as electronic circuit boards.
“Eight parcels involving the addresses of three senders in Kuala Lumpur were destined for a country in Oceania and our checks discovered 18 tin packs in the circuit boards containing 6,075 gm of the drug worth RM911,250,” he told a press conference today.
Following the discovery, the department raided the courier company again at 11 am on Nov 4 and detained a 29-year-old man together with a parcel also declared as electronic circuit boards to be sent to the country in Oceania.
He added that examination the circuit board by the Customs team found methamphetamine weighing 1,003 gm, worth an estimated RM150,450.
Johari said the department also detained another man, aged 39, in Selayang, Selangor on Nov 6.
It is believed that both suspects are members of a drug syndicate in the country that has an alleged international network.
“Based on investigations, the syndicate was found to have been distributing drugs out of the country by smuggling them in electronic circuit boards to avoid detection by authorities since a month ago.
“The drugs seized in the raids weighed a total of 7,078 gm and worth RM1.06 million and we have traced several other members of the drug distribution syndicate,” he said.
Both suspects, who are businessmen, have been remanded till Nov 11 to facilitate further investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama
