NILAI, June 9 -- The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has foiled an international drug syndicate with a seizure of a container in Port Klang, Selangor on June 4 at 1 pm.
Customs director-general Datuk Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said his department found 2.5 tonnes of locally produced camel and goat milk powder mixed with ketamine estimated to be worth RM100 million, hidden in the 20-foot container.
“The container arrived from one of the ports in South Asia. The department also arrested a 55-year-old foreign national and a 40-year-old local woman believed to be involved in the syndicate.
“Initial probes revealed that the container’s cargo was declared as camel milk powder which had been exported out of the country at the end of last year. The contents are believed to have been replaced with similar merchandise but mixed with powder suspected to be ketamine before it was shipped back,” he said here today.
He told this in a media conference at the Customs Narcotics branch here, which was also attended by Customs assistant director-general Datuk Johari Alifiah and Narcotics branch deputy director-general Koh Joo Kai.
Meanwhile, he said the two suspects were currently remanded for 10 days starting June 4 to assist the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Describing the seizure as the department largest haul of drugs this year, Abdul Latif also said that it was the first case with a modus operandi of pre-mixed products, while previous seizures involved tea products.
“This is also the first time that exported goods were rejected and shipped back by the importing country to Malaysia and we believe the product has been mixed with the drugs there,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
