Record RM431.8 million heroin bust.
The federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) has denied allegations that a Malaysian man who was arrested in connection with a seizure of over RM431.8 million worth of heroin in Australia was a drug mule.
Bukit Aman NCID director Datuk Razarudin Husain said the 38-year-old suspect was not a drug mule as he entered Australia in January 2020.
“So, we can rule out that the detained man was a drug mule as he has been in Australia since 2020.
“If he acted as a drug mule, the modus operandi before the start of the movement control order (MCO) would be to smuggle the drugs by plane, before being arrested at the airport.
“However, he has been in Australia for about a year,” Razarudin said during a media conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters today.
Earlier, it was reported that the Australian authorities arrested a Malaysian man for trying to smuggle in 450kg of heroin worth RM431.8 million into the country.
The drugs were found in a container transporting tiles from Malaysia to Melbourne.
The unnamed man was charged at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Friday.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman seized RM14 million worth of drugs found inside a shipping container heading towards the Philippines at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
Razarudin said police together with the Customs Department carried out an inspection on the container, which originated from Guatemala, at PTP on Saturday (Oct 16).
“We carried out the inspection following intelligence from the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA),” he said.
Razarudin added that checks on the container found 14 sacks containing drugs believed to be methamphetamine weighing 398kg worth RM14.3 million.
“The consignment had been declared as coffee beans where the drugs are hidden in between the items.
“We believe this syndicate was carrying out their smuggling activities through sea routes from a foreign country and making Malaysia as a transit before smuggling the illegal substance to a third country,” he added.
Razarudin said the drugs that were seized would have been able to supply almost two million addicts in the Philippines.