THE Customs Department scored a major success after it seized 88kg of cocaine estimated to be worth RM17.6 million in a raid at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Air Cargo Complex, Sepang, Selangor on August 1.

Customs director-general Zazuli Johan said in the 8pm raid, a team from the headquarters’ Narcotics Branch seized four boxes with 995 glass bottles containing capsules of suspected cocaine.

“The inspection also found vehicle spare parts in each box. They tried to hoodwink authorities by declaring the shipment as supplements when inside there were glass bottles containing dangerous drugs and vehicle parts.

“This is the first time a syndicate used such a modus operandi. It also used a fake company name as the receiving company in the Air Waybill,”  he said at a press conference in Nilai today.

He said the initial investigations found that the merchandise was imported from the Netherlands and then landed at the KLIA Cargo Complex as the final destination, with the drugs bound for the domestic market.

Zazuli said investigations also found that the importer used false information in the importation documents, making it difficult to arrest the importer.

“However, investigations are still ongoing to track down the suspect, believed to be a local citizen, under section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said. – Bernama, August 7, 2023.