KUALA LUMPUR: The Hong Kong man arrested with 1kg of cocaine at Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday (Nov 4) is believed to be linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate busted by the police, according to Bukit Aman.
Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said this was based on the modus operandi, type of drugs and intended destinations, which were almost identical, namely Hong Kong, Japan and Indonesia.
"We believe the syndicate has been crippled following the arrest of a Hong Kong national who headed the syndicate and local recruiters, as announced at a press conference yesterday," he told Bernama when contacted on Saturday (Nov 7).
The 36-year-old Hong Kong man was arrested after cocaine estimated to be worth HK$600,000 (RM311,000) was found concealed in his shoes during a Customs inspection after he arrived from Malaysia.
Hussein said police had been informed by Hong Kong authorities about the arrest and drug seizure and both parties had also shared relevant information.
He said the cocaine did not originate from Malaysia but the country was used as a transit hub before the drugs were smuggled to their destinations via Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Penang International Airport.
On Friday (Nov 6), police said they had arrested four individuals, including a Hong Kong national believed to be the syndicate mastermind, in an operation at a homestay in Brickfields here on Nov 5.
During the operation, police also seized 450g of cocaine and two pairs of shoes intended for two individuals recruited as drug mules.
The syndicate, believed to have been active since September, recruited Malaysians to smuggle drugs overseas.
This included five individuals arrested by authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and another five at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo in September and October. – Bernama
