JOHOR BAHRU, Dec 18 — The Johor Customs Department has busted two illicit drug smuggling syndicates, one with international links, that employs courier services after enforcement officers seized 13.17 kilogrammes (kg) of cannabis worth RM1.29 million in two cases here last month.

Two men, a local and a Philippines national, were arrested during the operations that was carried out in Johor Bahru and Senai.

Johor Customs Department director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the first case involved an attempt to smuggle out the illicit drugs via a courier company in Senai on November 26.

“Customs Department narcotics enforcement operatives intercepted two outgoing parcels destined for the United Kingdom and detained a 21-year-old local male suspect at 12.45pm.

“An inspection revealed that the parcels had 24 packs containing suspected cannabis leaves weighing 13.04kg that had a market value of RM1.27 million,” he told reporters during a press conference at Menara Kastam here today.

Aminul Izmeer said the case is being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.

He said the suspect was later charged at the Kulai Magistrates’ Court on December 3.

In a earlier case, Aminul Izmeer said the department’s narcotics enforcement operatives arrested a 23-year-old male Philippines national after tracking a suspicious parcel that was addressed to a local apartment here at 5.10pm on November 19.

He said checks revealed that the parcel had five individually wrapped packets believed to contain cannabis leaves weighing 135 grammes (g) that had a street value of RM14,112.

“The department is investigating the case under Section 6 and Section 39A(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“Following that, the suspect was charged at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court on November 25,” he said.

Aminul Izmeer said the department believes that the two syndicates specialise in using courier services as a modus operandi for their drug smuggling activities.

He said such a method was commonly employed by syndicates to avoid detection by the authorities.