Customs seizes over $300,000 worth of cannabis flowers, ketamine at Malaysia airport

SEPANG – The Royal Malaysian Customs Department at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has foiled two attempts to smuggle cannabis flowers and ketamine weighing a total of 16.39kg, worth RM1.03 million (S$322,300).KLIA Customs director Aspalila Ag Tuah said the first case involved the seizure of seven packages containing 7.28kg of cannabis flowers worth RM582,400 at the Pos Malaysia International Mail Centre at KLIA on Oct 12. The drugs were believed to be destined for export to a European country.“KLIA Customs found airtight transparent plastic packages suspected to contain cannabis flowers hidden in boxes declared as containing shoes and toys,” she told a press conference on Oct 28.In the second case, an enforcement team seized a box containing nine aluminium packets filled with 9.114kg of ketamine, worth RM455,700, at a cargo terminal in the KLIA Free Trade Zone on Oct 9, she said.“The drugs were brought in through cargo services and concealed in aluminium packets and boxes declared as containing pipe wrenches and toolboxes to avoid detection by the authorities,” she said, adding that the consignment from a European country was believed to be destined for Kuala Lumpur.She said both cases involved shipments with incomplete and false recipient and sender addresses.In another development, Aspalila said two Mini Cooper S cars worth an estimated RM180,000 were seized at two locations in Sepang on Sept 14 for being smuggled into the country without valid import permits and fitted with false registration numbers to evade detection, with the estimated taxes and duties totalling RM154,620.“Efforts are under way to trace the vehicle owners,” she said. BERNAMA