Passenger from KL caught with suspected meth worth over RM783,000 at Miri Airport

MIRI (March 17): The Customs Department detained a passenger at Miri Airport on Feb 27 after 24.486kg of suspected methamphetamine worth RM783,552 was discovered in his luggage.

Sarawak Customs director Datuk Norizan Yahya said a team of enforcement officers made the arrest at 5.15pm when the man arrived on a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur.

“Acting on prior intelligence, the officers inspected the individual’s luggage and discovered 21 yellow Chinese tea packets and three blue packets labelled as mangosteen products, all of which contained a total of 24.486kg of crystalline substances believed to be dangerous drugs,” he said in a statement.

The seized items were confiscated under Section 30(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, with methamphetamine classified under Part III of the First Schedule of the same Act.

The case is also being investigated under Section 39B (1) of the same Act for drug trafficking, which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum 12 strokes of the cane.

Norizan said the authorities believe there are now attempts to smuggle narcotics into Sarawak via domestic air travel from Peninsular Malaysia.

He called on the public to help the department combat smuggling crimes, particularly involving cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, firecrackers, drugs, and vehicles, as they not only result in revenue losses to the country but also pose threats to national security and public well-being.

Those with information on smuggling can call the Customs toll-free hotline on 1-800-888855 or contact the nearest Customs office.

The identities of all informants will be kept strictly confidential.