KUALA LUMPUR: International drug syndicates are using new tactics, including making last-minute flight bookings for drug mules or scheduling flights during peak hours at KL International Airport (KLIA) to evade detection, says Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan (pic).
The Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director said syndicates also lured victims with fake job offers, free holiday packages and lucrative financial rewards before persuading them to carry items without knowing they contained drugs.
“In other cases, narcotics were concealed in luggage, clothing, personal belongings or through ‘body packing’,” he added.
“Airports remain the primary route used by syndicates to smuggle drugs using mules, particularly involving international networks, while ports and land border checkpoints are also used through different operational methods,” he said when contacted.
Comm Hussein said 222 Malaysians were detained overseas as suspected drug mules between 2024 and October of this year.
“A total of 84 Malaysians were detained in 2024, 66 last year and 72 so far this year.
“From those nabbed this year, some 1.7 tonnes of drugs worth RM81.76mil were seized,” he said.
Among the places where Malaysians have been arrested are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, he added.
“Most are believed to have been deceived by job offers or promises of easy financial rewards without realising the risks and severe legal consequences in those countries,” he said.
Comm Hussein said the NCID works closely with other countries’ enforcement agencies through intelligence sharing, joint operations and information exchanges.
He added that intelligence obtained from interrogating suspects arrested in Malaysia is shared with relevant authorities overseas to help identify networks, while investigations into local syndicates remain ongoing.
He advised the public not to be easily deceived by suspicious job offers, holiday packages or financial rewards, and to avoid carrying items belonging to others without knowing their contents.
“Syndicates often target teenagers and those under 40 with the promise of ‘easy money’ and luxurious perks.
“Both men and women have fallen prey, but recent trends show that syndicates have adopted more creative and deceptive tactics,” he added.
