SHAH ALAM: Promised jobs and free holidays turned into a trap for foreigners recruited as drug mules, as police busted several international trafficking syndicates and seized 418kg of cannabis worth RM33.4mil.
A total of 12 people – a local man, four foreign men and seven foreign women – were detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and around Sepang.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the 10 raids, conducted between Aug 28 and Sept 21, involved eight cases at KLIA terminals and two around Sepang.
“We seized 671 plastic packets containing compressed chunks believed to be cannabis, with a total estimated weight of 418kg and a value of RM33.4mil.
“Also seized were two vehicles and foreign currencies worth a total of RM37,700,” he told a press conference at the state police headquarters yesterday.
Comm Shazeli said all the foreign suspects had entered Malaysia using social visit passes, and they were believed to be drug mules, while the local suspect was believed to have acted as a drug runner.
“They were offered trips to Malaysia and, upon arrival, were instructed to bring back luggage that clearly did not belong to them. The drugs were hidden inside the luggage,” he said, adding that the seized cannabis could have been distributed to 1.39 million users.
In another case, Comm Shazeli denied claims that police personnel had escorted a vehicle linked to a cable theft in Kampung Tasik Tambahan, Ampang, on Sept 19.
He said the angle of the CCTV footage of the incident may have created the impression that police personnel were escorting the activity.
“The patrol team had been dispatched after receiving information about a possible cable theft and managed to arrest one suspect, while several others believed to be his accomplices, escaped.
“The suspect was charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code and fined RM8,000,” he said.
