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Thursday November 25, 2010

Iranians with RM2m worth of syabu held

By M. KUMAR
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SHAH ALAM: Two Iranians have been arrested for allegedly smuggling RM2.1mil worth of drugs wrapped in carbon paper at the KL International Airport. The two men had hoped the drugs would remain undetected by the X-ray machine. However, authorities conducted a search of their luggage when they acted suspiciously shortly after they landed on Sunday.

Police found 6kg of syabu under a false bottom of the luggage. Selangor narcotics chief Asst Comm Nordin Kadir told a press conference yesterday that police believed the two men, aged 35 and 29, who were arrested separately were from the same syndicate as their modus operandi was similar. Police also confiscated US$1,480 (RM4,628) from the two along with their passports.

“They have been remanded until Sunday and are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” ACP Nordin added. He said so far 81 cases of foreigners smuggling drugs through KLIA had been reported with 119 people arrested. “A total of 78 of those arrested were Iranians with over RM100mil worth of drugs seized,” he said.

Customs director-general Datuk Seri Ibrahim Jaapar had also said that most of the Iranian drug traffickers arrested at KLIA were carrying syabu and their number had increased compared with traffickers from India. On Sept 27, Malaysia and Iran signed an agreement to launch a joint campaign against trafficking of illicit drugs.