KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian who was detained by the Macau authorities last month on suspicion of smuggling nearly 3kg of heroin worth approximately RM2.09mil has been confirmed to have a previous drug-related criminal record in Malaysia.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan (pic) said the department received official information from the Macau police on Sunday (July 5) regarding the arrest of the 24-year-old man from Sarawak.
"Our checks found that the man has two previous narcotics-related offences under Section 12(2) and Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said when contacted Monday (July 6).
Elaborating further, Comm Hussein said the drugs were concealed inside sardine cans labelled as tuna paste, which were packed together with biscuits before being discovered in the suspect's luggage upon his arrival at Macau International Airport.
He added that investigations are ongoing to identify the mastermind and other members of the syndicate operating in Malaysia. Authorities are also cooperating with drug enforcement agencies in neighbouring countries, as the suspect is believed to have used a route other than KL International Airport to smuggle the drugs.
"The suspect did not depart from Malaysia but from a neighbouring country to the north, and the drugs are believed to have been obtained from that country," he said.
According to Comm Hussein, the ongoing cooperation between the NCID and the Macau Police is currently focused on intelligence sharing and efforts to identify the mastermind and other members of the syndicate involved.
He also advised Malaysians travelling abroad to always pay close attention to their luggage and be fully aware of the contents of their baggage or any packages they carry to avoid being exploited as drug mules.
Previously, Macau's Judiciary Police said that a Malaysian man was arrested at Macau International Airport on June 20 after allegedly attempting to smuggle 2.987kg of heroin worth approximately 4.18 million Macau patacas (about RM2.09mil).
Authorities also found 49 neatly packed boxes of tuna biscuits. Each box contained two packets of biscuits and one can labelled as tuna paste. However, inspections revealed that several of the cans had been filled with a white powder, which was later confirmed to be heroin.
Preliminary investigations found that the man is believed to have been recruited by a drug trafficking syndicate in Malaysia and was promised RM3,000 upon completing the assignment. He was also instructed to collect the drugs in a Southeast Asian country before smuggling them into Macau, where they were to be delivered to a nearby region according to the syndicate's instructions. - Bernama
