Thursday, October 13, 2011

International Drug Trafficking Syndicates Change Route to Enter Malaysia

Over the past one month, the police launched a series of operations to crack down drug trafficking activities and seized drugs worth 2.6 million Malaysian ringgit ($0.86 million) at different places around the country. At the same time, the police also discovered that Nigerian drug trafficking syndicates have changed their strategies. Instead of traveling to Malaysia by air, they make use of Thai women by love possessed to bring drugs into Malaysia by land.
Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim, director of the Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, disclosed that earlier, Iranian drug traffickers were often seized, but the recent operations saw a decline in the number of Iranian drug traffickers arrested. In contrast, Nigerian drug traffickers seized have been increasing.
From June to August this year, the police had arrested a total of 20 foreign drug traffickers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (and the Low Cost Carrier Terminal. There was an obvious drop as compared to the 27 arrested during the same period last year.
Thai Women Risk Danger for Love
"However, between June to August last year, the police arrested 18 Iranian drug traffickers at the airports, but only 4 Iranians were nabbed in the same period this year. On the contrary, no Nigerian drug trafficker was arrested within this period last year, but the number had soared to 13 this year," he said.
In addition to the two major airports in Kuala Lumpur, Nigerian drug traffickers also tried to traffic drugs into Malaysia through other states such as the international airports in Penang and Sabah. Nevertheless, in view of the tight control of the anti-narcotics police at the checkpoints, they have changed their strategy by attempting to traffic drugs into Malaysia by land.
From the operations launched in the past two months, the police discovered that some arrested Nigerian drug traffickers were accompanied by some Thai nationals. Therefore, the police did not rule out the possibility that these drug traffickers had made use of these Thai women as drug mules and made them risk danger for love.
"The police arrested two Nigerian men and two Thai women and seized 18.7 kg of marijuana worth 37,400 ringgit ($12,498) on 20 August. The four suspects are aged between 25 to 32 years old," he said.
Drug trafficking syndicates have now shifted from crystal methamphetamine (ice) to marijuana. The current market price of marijuana is 2,000 ringgit ($668) per kg.
The Terengganu state police also arrested a 26-year-old Malay man last night and seized 6,930 WY pills worth 173,250 ringgit ($57,617). The police also found heroin worth 5,000 ringgit ($1,663) and cash amounting to 31,000 ringgit ($10,308).
Drugs Hidden in Secret Compartments in Car
The drug trafficking syndicates hid their drugs in secret compartments in their cars such as hiding the drugs in bumpers and under car mats. But the police aptly exposed their tricks. Over the past two months, the police managed to cripple two syndicates using this method to traffic their drugs and nabbed 16 suspects.
Noor Rashid disclosed that the police blocked a Toyota Crown at Sri Damansara Road at 1115 on 6 September, and found 60 slabs of marijuana weighed 60 kg in secret compartments in the car.
The police arrested a Thai man and two Malay men on the spot. The trio are aged between 25 to 32 years old. The three suspects hid the 60 slabs of marijuana under the mats of the back seat and under the bumpers at both sides of the vehicle.
In September 2011, the police arrested two Nigerian men at a gas station at Duta Road when the duo got off the car. The police also nabbed a Thai woman sitting in the car and seized 29 slabs of marijuana weighed 28.1 kg kept in the car.
The three suspects are aged between 28 to 41 years old. All the six arrested are now being investigated under the Section 38 (B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Once found guilty, they will be sentenced to death penalty.
In addition, the police also arrested 10 drug traffickers last month and seized 88 packs of heroin No.4, 1 kg of heroin, 30 kg of marijuana, and 16.1 kg of crystal metamphetamine from secret compartments in 4 Mercedes-Benz cars.

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