KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — The arrest of a Hong Kong man with about one kilogramme of cocaine concealed in his shoes at Hong Kong International Airport after arriving from Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday is believed to be linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate recently crippled by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the suspected link was based on similarities in the modus operandi, type of drugs and trafficking destinations, namely Hong Kong, Japan and Indonesia.

“We believe the syndicate has been crippled following the arrest of a Hong Kong national believed to be the syndicate leader and a local recruiter, as announced at yesterday’s press conference,” he said when contacted today.

Media reports today said a 36-year-old Hong Kong man was arrested last Wednesday after customs officers found cocaine estimated to be worth HK$600,000 (RM311,000) during an inspection at Hong Kong International Airport following his arrival from Malaysia.

Hussein said PDRM had been informed by Hong Kong authorities of the arrest and drug seizure, adding that both sides had exchanged relevant information.

He said the cocaine did not originate from Malaysia, but the country was believed to have been used as a transit hub before the drugs were smuggled to their intended destinations through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or Penang International Airport.

Yesterday, media reports said PDRM had arrested four individuals, including a Hong Kong national believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate, during an operation at a homestay in Brickfields here on Nov 5.

During the operation, police also seized 450 grammes of cocaine and two pairs of shoes believed to have been intended for two individuals recruited as drug mules.

The syndicate, believed to have been active since September, was found to have recruited Malaysians to smuggle drugs overseas.

Those recruited included five individuals arrested by authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and another five at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo in September and October. — Bernama