NILAI – The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has seized 94.8 million Captagon pills containing amphetamine worth RM5.2 billion from containers at Port Klang on March 15, making it the largest drug haul in the country’s history.
Director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said the drugs – weighing 16 tonnes – were found hidden inside castors in three 40ft containers that arrived from the Middle East.
He said initial investigations found that the containers were meant to be shipped to an East Asian country.
For the record, the department seized 3.35 tonnes of drugs in 2018, 4.75 tonnes in 2019, and 2.86 tonnes last year.
Latif, however, said no arrest has been made so far.
“We are conducting further investigations to determine whether this drug smuggling activity involved locals.”
He said the modus operandi of such syndicates is to change the identification document of each shipment.
“Once the goods arrive in this country, they will be shipped to a third country before being sent back to the country of origin. This is the modus operandi used by international (drug) syndicates.”
Latif said the seizure was a result of cooperation between the department, Royal Malaysia Police and Saudi Arabia’s Home Affairs Ministry’s Narcotics Control Directorate General.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. – Bernama, March 23, 2021
