NEW DELHI: The Customs Department scored a major success Wednesday when it foiled an attempt by an Indian National to smuggle in 5.8kgs of methamphetamine worth RM1.1 million at the KL International Airport.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Khazali Ahmad said the 39-year-old man was nabbed at 7.40pm, shortly after he arrived at KLIA from Bengaluru, India with his baggage.
“Checks on his baggage found the methamphetamine placed in a bag containing tobacco in trying to fool Customs officers,” he said at the ‘Customs DG with Media 2015’ event here yesterday.
He said the suspect had entered the country twice before this.
Khazali also said the department’s efforts at curbing smuggling saw goods worth RM286 million with unpaid duty amounting to RM415 million seized till November (Jan-Nov 2015).
“Besides drugs, the most popular goods for smuggling were vehicles, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and rice.
“These contributed to 52 per cent of the seizures valued at RM147 million involving 4,730 cases,” he said.
According to him, during that period, 1,813 vehicles worth RM51.38 million were seized with duty amounting to RM60.45 million, while for cigarettes, 543 million sticks valued at RM43 million and duty amounting to RM280.4 million were seized.
As for alcoholic drinks, the figures were 1.6 million litres valued at RM12.9 million and unpaid duty of RM37.5 million while for rice it was 2,290 tonnes valued at RM5.23 with tax due totalling RM1.87 million.
The department also succeeding in seizing 188kgs of drugs valued at RM34.182 million in that period.
Khazali also announced that the department would be setting up special six-man teams, two for each state, which would help its enforcement personnel when needed and that the name to be given for the team would be announced later.
