Labuan customs foils attempt to smuggle drugs worth half million

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department Labuan foiled an attempt to smuggle in six kilograms of heroin and syabu worth about RM500,000 from Mumbai, India.

The customs with the cooperation of Labuan Airport auxiliary police found the drugs, stashed in 88 packets in 44 re-sewn small wallets, inside an Indian national passenger baggage at 10.50am on Feb 9.

Labuan customs director Dr Mohamad Saprin said the suspect, 35, was on an international flight from Mumbai, using Labuan Airport as a gateway back to Kuala Lumpur.

"The seizure of the drugs was made when the contents of the passenger's baggage raised the suspicion of the airport auxiliary police and customs officers, who ordered a thorough search.

"However, the man got caught at the check-in baggage screening check point when the screen machine detected the suspicious image inside his baggage, the man could have thought he could get through our airport here," he said at a press conference here Tuesday.

He said the drugs were hidden in the re-sewn wallets in that manner in an apparent bid to avoid detection through the scanner.

Dr Mohamad said the man had been remanded for a week from the date of the arrest and would be charged in court under Section 39 (B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries a mandatory death sentence if convicted.

He praised the airport auxiliary police and the customs enforcement team who made the seizures and thanked them for their alertness at work.

He stressed that these employees played a vital role in protecting the society against such harmful substances. - Bernama