SEPANG: An attempt to smuggle 12.675kg of cannabis flowers worth RM1.01mil hidden inside children’s toy boxes was foiled at the KL International Airport (KLIA) here.
The seizure was made by the enforcement division of the KLIA Customs Department at the KLIA Mail and Courier Centre on July 13.
KLIA Customs director Aspalila Ag Tuah said four boxes were seized during the operation.
“Inspection found transparent airtight plastic bags containing 12.675kg of cannabis flowers worth RM1.01mil hidden inside children’s toy boxes,” she said at a press conference at the KLIA Cargo Customs Complex here yesterday.
She said initial investigations found that the packages were believed to have been intended for export to a European country.
“Checks found that the telephone number displayed on the boxes could not be contacted, while the sender’s and recipient’s addresses were also fake,” she said.
Aspalila said investigations were ongoing to determine the source of the drugs and identify those involved.
In a separate case, Customs officers seized 47.8kg of cannabis flowers worth RM3.82mil from two bags left at the Lost and Found office at the International Arrival Hall of KLIA Terminal 1.
She said the bags had been left there for about a month before they were inspected on July 14.
“Checks found that the two bags were scheduled to be taken on a flight to Langkawi but were abandoned by the passenger.
“A scan of the bags was then conducted, which detected suspicious images before a thorough inspection was carried out,” she said.
Aspalila said officers from the KLIA Customs enforcement division found airtight plastic bags containing 47.8kg of cannabis flowers inside the luggage.
She said investigations were ongoing, including efforts to obtain assistance from the airline to identify the owner of the bags.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Meanwhile, Aspalila said Customs officers also foiled attempts to smuggle cigarettes worth RM1.34mil by declaring them as bed linen and slippers in two separate raids at the KLIA Free Commercial Zone here recently.
She said in the first case on July 29, an inspection of a warehouse at the free commercial zone uncovered 410,000 sticks of white cigarettes worth RM392,752, including duties and taxes.
She said the cigarettes were believed to have been brought in from a West Asian country before being distributed in the local market.
“The modus operandi was to declare the shipment as ‘garments bed linen’ to avoid detection by the authorities and the need for an import permit,” she said at the same press conference.
Aspalila said the company handling the shipment had been called in to assist with investigations.
In the second case, Customs seized 1.12 million sticks of white cigarettes worth RM948,640, including duties and taxes, on July 30.
She said investigations found that the cigarettes had arrived in Malaysia from an Asian country for transit purposes.
“The cigarettes were believed to be destined for a country in the Oceania region.
“In this case, the shipment was declared as ‘slippers’ to avoid detection by the authorities and the requirement for an import permit,” she said.
