SHAH ALAM: The supply of hydroponic cannabis allegedly smuggled by a Malaysian man at Chennai International Airport, India, is believed to have been obtained from Thailand.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said police had obtained detailed information about the individual.
“The information includes his identity and flight schedule. He (the suspect) brought the drugs from Bangkok, so we believe he obtained the supply from there.
“We will monitor whether he is linked to a syndicate in Malaysia or whether he was recruited as a drug mule in Thailand or Malaysia,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters here on Tuesday (Aug 11).
Comm Hussein said further investigations were ongoing and police would look into these factors.
He had earlier confirmed that a 54-year-old man from Perak was detained by Indian authorities at Chennai International Airport last Saturday for allegedly smuggling 4kg of hydroponic cannabis.
The suspect was detained upon arrival at the airport on a Thai Airways flight, TG 337, from Bangkok, Thailand.
A thorough inspection of the suspect's luggage by Chennai Customs officers uncovered the hydroponic cannabis concealed inside the baggage.
The suspect is currently being remanded by Indian Customs authorities for further investigation under local laws and will be investigated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985 pending trial.
Under India's NDPS Act 1985, offences involving the trafficking or possession of drugs in commercial quantities carry a mandatory prison sentence of between 10 and 20 years, as well as a hefty fine upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Comm Hussein said police had received official information on the suspect's arrest from India's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
He said initial checks showed that the man had no previous criminal record.
