POLICE THWART ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE DRUG WORTH RM1.14 MILLION AT KLIA

SEPANG, April 4 (Bernama) -- Police thwarted an attempt by an Indonesian man arriving from Brazil to smuggle cocaine, weighing about 5.7 kilogrammes, into the country at the Arrival Hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)  last week.

KLIA deputy police chief Supt Albany Hamzah said the incident occurred on March 27 after the police conducted a search on the 38-year-old man and his luggage after he was spotted behaving in a suspicious manner.

He said the man was arrested by a team of officers from the KLIA Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division at about 10.15 around 10.15 am.

“An inspection of the suspect’s luggage revealed five laptop bags inside with two black plastic packages in each bag.

“The plastic packages contained white powder suspected to be cocaine weighing 5,726 grammes, valued at about RM1.14 million,” he said in a statement today.

He said the suspect has no criminal record in Malaysia.

Two days later (March 29), a 48-year-old local man, believed to be bound for Sarawak, was arrested at the KLIA Terminal 2 Departure Hall, also for drug trafficking.

According to Albany, a check of the man's luggage found 15 plastic packages containing powder and crystal pieces suspected of being methamphetamine, weighing an estimated 15.9 kg, valued at about RM511,296.

"The modus operandi was to wrap the drug packages in black plastic to confuse the authorities, then use the 'self-check in' service to avoid detection,” he said.

Both cases are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

-- BERNAMA