Police seize MDMA and heroin worth RM80.3 million hidden in shipping containers at Port Klang, destined for Australia in a joint operation with AFP.
KLANG: Police have thwarted an attempt to smuggle RM80.3 million worth of drugs into Australia.
The seizure occurred at West Port here on Jan 19 after authorities discovered two suspicious shipping containers.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the first container held 408 boxes of olive oil bottles.
These bottles are suspected to have concealed 4,064 kg of liquid MDMA.
The second container was found with 1,831 cartons of fruit juice.
Authorities believe the 54,930 individual juice boxes contained 9,887.4 kg of liquid heroin.
Hussein said the operation was a joint effort with the Australian Federal Police under Joint Taskforce Tiger.
Acting on intelligence, they tracked two containers from a Middle Eastern country transiting Port Klang since Jan 17.
“The containers were tracked transiting the port since Jan 17,” he said at a media briefing.
“Intelligence indicated they were declared as shipments of olive oil and flavoured fruit drinks.”
Initial investigations show Port Klang was used only as a transit point.
Hussein said a suspected international criminal network based in the Middle East was behind the shipment.
The containers were ultimately bound for Melbourne and Sydney in Australia.
He confirmed that the NCID, AFP, and other agencies are pursuing further investigations.
“This is not our first seizure of drug-laden containers transiting Port Klang,” Hussein added.
“These syndicates continually seek to exploit the port as a transit hub.”
He stated police remain proactive and vigilant against all criminal activities, especially drug trafficking.
“We will find out whether this involves a single syndicate or multiple groups,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
