Cops seize drugs worth RM14.33 million at PTP

JOHOR BAHRU: A drug syndicate's attempt to evade detection by declaring drugs as coffee beans was foiled when 14 gunny sacks of drugs worth RM14.33 million were seized at the Tanjung Pelepas Port (PTP), Iskandar Puteri, on Oct 16.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Razarudin Husain said the drugs, weighing 398.28 kilogrammes (kg), hidden in a container, were discovered during a joint operation with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM).

He said the police were alerted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on a container from Guatemala, that was expected to pass through PTP before heading towards the Philippines, believed to be carrying methamphetamine.

Razarudin said police believed the syndicate was carrying out their smuggling activities using sea routes from a foreign country and making Malaysia a transit before smuggling the banned substances to a third country.

"Checks on the container we found that out of the 100 gunny sacks declared as coffee beans, 14 of them containing drugs that can be used by 1.99 million addicts. This is the first of such case occurred at the PTP," he said at a press conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters here today.

However Razarudin said that no arrests have been made so far, and police are currently conducting further investigations, as well as waiting for more information from the PDEA for further action.

When asked to comment on the arrest of a Malaysian in connection with a seizure of 450 kg of heroin worth RM431.8 million in Australia recently, he said that the 38-year-old suspect was not a drug mule.

He said that he could rule out that the man was a drug mule, as he entered Australia in January last year.

"If he is a drug mule, we can see (his modus operandi) was to smuggle drugs by plane before being arrested at the airport. But he has been in Australia for about a year," he added.

Razarudin said that the investigation of the case was still ongoing, and information provided by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) could help the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) to conduct a thorough investigation.

On Oct 17 the media reported that PDRM would continue to cooperate with Australia to conduct a further investigation, following the arrest of a Malaysian man for trying to smuggle 450kg of heroin worth RM431.8 million into the country.

The man was charged at Melbourne Magistrates' Court last Friday.

-- BERNAMA