Customs officers seized almost 300,000 Erimin-5 pills, with a street value of about RM6mil, which were shipped to Malaysia from Taiwan in crates declared as surgical gloves.
“My men ran through the contents of the boxes and found they did not contain surgical gloves, as stated.
“Upon closer inspection, we confirmed the contents as Erimin-5 pills,” Customs assistant director (narcotics) Liah Omar said at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport cargo section here yesterday.
He said it was the second largest seizure of Erimin-5 pills at the KLIA cargo section this year.
Liah added that his men had been on alert for the goods following a tip-off that there were attempts by a syndicate to bring in the drugs from Taiwan.
He said they had nabbed a 36-year-old man, who was tailed from the KLIA to Yong Peng in Johor, after he took delivery of the goods in a van at the cargo section here.
“He had tried to flee on foot after he was cornered by Customs officers at an oil palm plantation,” said Liah, adding that the arrest was made at about 9.30pm on Dec 13.
The suspect, who was self-employed and did not have any previous criminal record, has been remanded until Thursday to help in the police probe.
Liah said the illicit drugs had arrived on a flight from Taiwan a day earlier in the six boxes.
The consignment was ad-dressed to a company in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“We are checking if the company or anyone working there has anything to do with the consignment.
“However, syndicates often use the addresses of local companies to hoodwink enforcement teams into believing the consignment is not contraband,” added Liah.
He said the pills, sold at RM20 a piece in the local market, were believed to be for distribution in the Klang Valley.
It is learnt the pill costs as low as RM1 each in Taiwan.
Liah appealed to those who have information on illicit drug smuggling or other drugs-related activities to contact the Customs' toll-free line at 1-800-88-8855.
“My men ran through the contents of the boxes and found they did not contain surgical gloves, as stated.
“Upon closer inspection, we confirmed the contents as Erimin-5 pills,” Customs assistant director (narcotics) Liah Omar said at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport cargo section here yesterday.
He said it was the second largest seizure of Erimin-5 pills at the KLIA cargo section this year.
Liah added that his men had been on alert for the goods following a tip-off that there were attempts by a syndicate to bring in the drugs from Taiwan.
He said they had nabbed a 36-year-old man, who was tailed from the KLIA to Yong Peng in Johor, after he took delivery of the goods in a van at the cargo section here.
“He had tried to flee on foot after he was cornered by Customs officers at an oil palm plantation,” said Liah, adding that the arrest was made at about 9.30pm on Dec 13.
The suspect, who was self-employed and did not have any previous criminal record, has been remanded until Thursday to help in the police probe.
Liah said the illicit drugs had arrived on a flight from Taiwan a day earlier in the six boxes.
The consignment was ad-dressed to a company in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“We are checking if the company or anyone working there has anything to do with the consignment.
“However, syndicates often use the addresses of local companies to hoodwink enforcement teams into believing the consignment is not contraband,” added Liah.
He said the pills, sold at RM20 a piece in the local market, were believed to be for distribution in the Klang Valley.
It is learnt the pill costs as low as RM1 each in Taiwan.
Liah appealed to those who have information on illicit drug smuggling or other drugs-related activities to contact the Customs' toll-free line at 1-800-88-8855.
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