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.

Malaysia Becomes Iranian Drug Smugglers Heaven

In the eyes of the Iranian drug traffickers, Malaysia is a piece of "golden land" and "drug smugglers' heaven." This is because for every one kilogram of "syabu crystal" (crystal methamphetamine) valued at market price of $ 100,000 ringgit that they brought in to Malaysia, they could sell them off for M$ 200,000 ringgit per kilogram. In this new 2010 year alone, the Malaysian police have already arrested 50 Iranian drug smugglers who tried to get through the gate of custom check points.

How active are the Iranian drug smuggling activities in Malaysia nowadays? Malaysia's National Narcotics Department Director Datuk Zulhasnan has this description: "In the past one month or so, Iranians have been arrested almost daily for trying to smuggle illicit drugs to Malaysia."
From 1 January to 25 February, Malaysian police have already arrested a total of 50 Iranian smugglers of which 47 were males, and the others were women. From their bodies, police seized a total of 55.133 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 6.9 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of cocaine. Most of the 50 Iranian drug suspects were arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. A few of them were arrested at the hotels they stayed.

Great Potential Market for Illicit Drugs
When asked to explain the sudden surge of Iranian drug traffickers in Malaysia, Datuk Zulhasnan said the phenomenon of the sudden increase of Iranian drug traffickers was not only confined to Malaysia alone. He said other countries also faced similar problems. However, according to Malaysian police's analysis, "the ice" has much better potential market in Malaysia. This type of crystal methamphetamine could fetch a very good price in Malaysia. This was the main reason why the Iranian drug syndicates would want to choose Malaysia for their illicit drug trafficking activities.

Datuk Zulhasnan said that for example, when one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine was sold between M$100, 000 to M$150,000 ringgit in Iran, but when the Iranian drug traffickers brought them into Malaysia, they could sell them off at between M$200,000 to M$25,000 ringgit per kilogram. The profit was doubled.

With reference to the earlier report that an Iranian mafia gang has connection with Malaysia's illicit drug trafficking activities, Datuk Zulhasnan said that the case was still under the police investigation. He added that in the very near future, he would make arrangement for the police officers to discuss the issue with the Iranian Ambassador and with other relevant units of the Iranian Embassy in Malaysia.

Malaysia Sends Police To Station in Six Countries
According to earlier report, Malaysian police have already received information from the Iranian embassy in Kuala Lumpur that the recent and frequent Iranian drug trafficking activities in Malaysia was related to a Mafia gang with a base in Iran.

To order to stop the Iranian drug trafficking activities to spread further in Malaysia, Datuk Zulhasnan said the police in Bukit Aman police headquarters have for the first time sent six Malaysian police officers to station in six countries in order to monitor, consult, facilitate and carry out investigation on this drug trafficking case related to Iranians. Datuk Zulhasnan said:
"By stationing Malaysian police in these six countries, our Malaysian police officers will also monitor the drug trafficking situation in the nearby areas. For example, the police officer tasked to station in China will also be responsible to keep watch on the drug trafficking activities in Taiwan and China."

Datuk Zulhasnan said that from the types of drugs recovered from the bodies of the Iranian drug smugglers, there was one thing that surprised the police. The surprise was that volume of cocaine recovered from the Iranian drug suspects was on the increase as time went by. He said:
"Generally the use of cocaine is more popular in the United States. However, this type of illicit drugs has also quietly entered the Malaysian market recently."

Difficult To Escape Police Eyes
During the Lunar Chinese New Year period, the Malaysian police also successfully detected four international drug-trafficking cases. The police arrested four Iranian men and recovered 24.8 kilograms of drugs concealed in shower gel and shampoo bottles as well illicit drugs concealed inside the cover of encyclopedias. These four cases happened from 23 to 25 February which was the 10th and 12th day of the Lunar Chinese New Year. The police recovered a total of 5.6 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (the ice), 6.9 kg of liquid methamphetamine, and 12.3 kilograms of cocaine with these few days. The police have invoked the 1952 Dangerous Drugs Act Article 39B to charge the four Iranian drug suspects aged between 36 to 48 years of age. Under this Article 39B, once these drug suspected were convicted the only sentence was death penalty.

At the press conference held by Malaysia's National Narcotics Department Director Datuk Zulhasnan, he said that on Tuesday 23 February night at 2200, the Bukit Aman Narcotics Unit spotted a suspicious Iranian man at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Upon checking the police seized 4.9 kilogram of crystal methamphetamine inside a biscuit box. Investigation has shown that the suspect arrived in Malaysia from one of the Middle Eastern countries.

On the following day that was Wednesday 24 February at 0600, the police also arrested another Iranian man just arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Dubai. While the police could not find any drug in the suitcase and body of that Iranian, however, when the suspect was taken to the hospital for X-ray scan, the police found 65 capsules of "the ice" weighted a total of 453 grams inside the body of the Iranian.

On the same day, the airport staff also found an unclaimed suitcase left at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. On investigation the police were surprised to find a total of 12.3 kilogram of cocaine concealed in the covers of six thick encyclopedias. According to information available, the luggage was left by a Pakistani passenger. It was believed that the drug trafficking passenger who left behind the suitcase must have cold feet and left the "drug luggage" at the airport.

In addition, on 25 February at 1.15 am, the police also detected the case of "some Iranians refining narcotics drugs in hotel." This hotel is located along P. Ramli Road in downtown Kuala Lumpur. When the police raid the hotel room, they found two Iranian men on the spot and seized 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 6.9 kilograms of liquid methamphetaminece and other illicit drug refinery equipment, including scales and chemical equipment.