NILAI: Almost 808kg of fentanyl worth an estimated RM45mil has been seized by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in an operation at the KL International Airport cargo complex.
This was Customs' first seizure of fentanyl, said to be 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
Customs director-general (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Sazali Mohamad said his officers seized the drug, hidden in 36 boxes, at the cargo complex just past midnight on Dec 9.
"Upon checking the contents, we found 72 aluminium containers filled with fentanyl.
"The syndicate tried to hoodwink the authorities by declaring the consignment as fragrance compounds," he told reporters at the department's narcotics headquarters near here on Monday (Dec 18).
Sazali said the seized fentanyl could be used by some four million drug users.
Fentanyl is used as an analgesic (pain relief) and anaesthetic.
Like morphine, it is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.
Sazali said the consignment originated from an international airport in India and was in transit here.
"From KLIA, it was supposed to be flown to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates," he added.
He said the case was being probed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
Separately, Sazali said for the first 11 months of this year, Customs conducted 398 operations and seized various types of illicit drugs such as heroin, ketamine, cannabis and methamphetamine worth almost RM295mil.
He appealed to anyone with information on smuggling activities, including illicit drugs, tobacco and alcoholic beverages, to contact the department at 1800-88-8855.
The identity of the informant would be kept confidential, he said.
