PUTRAJAYA: Smuggling syndicates are actively operating at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), with illegal activities detected nearly every day, according to the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency.
Speaking at a press conference at the agency’s headquarters, the agency’s director-general, Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, revealed that authorities are uncovering coordinated attempts to traffic various types of contraband through the country's primary gateway.
“Our luggage seizures at inspection checkpoints are rising. As I noted last Sunday, we are seeing almost daily attempts by syndicates to smuggle drugs into Europe,” Comm Mohd Shuhaily said on Thursday (Oct 1), adding that another trafficking attempt was intercepted earlier the same day.
Beyond narcotics, authorities have identified a growing trend of groups attempting to illicitly export precious metals out of Malaysia.
“What we are seeing now is syndicates smuggling gold back to their home countries,” he explained. “This results in significant financial losses for Malaysia. Under current regulations, anyone carrying gold valued at $10,000 USD (RM40,875) or above is legally required to declare it.”
