SHAH ALAM: International drug trafficking syndicates are believed to be seeking alternative routes, including using other airports, as enforcement at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is tightened.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said during Ops Lejogaster, police detected an international syndicate attempting to use Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas as a route to transport cannabis buds out of the country.
He said the syndicates were constantly looking for opportunities to carry out their activities through air, land and sea routes.
“When KLIA becomes more heavily monitored, other airports may be used.
“As I have always said, these syndicates constantly look for opportunities and use every avenue available.
“They use various means, whether through vehicles, ordinary people travelling as tourists or for social visits, or through other parties,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor Police Headquarters here on Tuesday (Aug 11).
Comm Hussein said this showed that international drug syndicates were constantly finding new ways to evade detection by the authorities.
Under Ops Lejogaster, police arrested nine suspects, including eight foreigners, and seized about 270kg of cannabis buds worth RM21.62mil.
One of the raids was conducted at Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas on Aug 3, where police seized two luggage bags containing 60 packets of suspected cannabis buds weighing 31.6kg.
Comm Hussein said the syndicate was believed to be using Malaysia as a transit country to bring in drug supplies before they were transported out through international airports.
“This shows that this is an international syndicate working with local syndicates to use Malaysia as a transit point, bringing drugs in from the north and taking them out through international airports, including KLIA and Bayan Lepas,” he said.
He said police would continue to step up efforts to combat international syndicate networks attempting to use any route in the country for drug trafficking activities.
