SEPANG: A local woman and her young Nigerian boyfriend were arrested on Valentine’s Day by the authorities in connection with smuggling syabu worth about RM18.7 million over the past four months.
The 43-year-old woman, who operates a travel agency in the federal capital, and the 28-year-old Nigerian who studies computer science at a private college, were nabbed at a house in Kepong.
Also detained on the same day were two local men, suspected to be drug mules, aged 25 and 27, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) baggage section.
Initial investigations revealed the couple had masterminded the smuggling of 75kg of the syabu, also known as methamphetamine, into the country since last November.
The operation to cripple the international drug syndicate was jointly carried out by Customs Department and the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman.
KLIA Customs Department deputy director Siti Baya Berahan told a media conference that the syndicate had operated through the woman’s travel agency’s ‘employees’, comprising five local men and a local woman in their 20s.
She said the five had travelled to several countries including Pnom Penh, Johannsburg, Bangladesh, Siap Reap, Manila, Cape Town, Mozambique and Singapore as part of their illicit drug operations.
“They had travelled to other countries for 25 times, meaning four or five times for each of them.
“Each time they returned to Malaysia, they are believed to have brought in not less than 3kg of syabu in their baggage,” added Siti Baya.
She said investigations revealed the 27-year-old suspect returned home from Phnom Penh on Feb 13, with a baggage containing 3.3kg of syabu worth RM825,000.
Siti Baya said the suspects had been remanded for 14 days under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. — Bernama