Bukit Aman: More Malaysian drug mules being detained abroad

SUBANG JAYA, Feb 3 — Federal narcotics police today revealed that there has been an increase in Malaysians taking up roles as drug mules with global narcotics syndicates.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crimes Investigations Department deputy director Senior Assistant Commissioner Zulkifli Ali said the spike in Malaysians getting involved in overseas distribution networks is shocking.

He said 23 people were arrested last year in Hong Kong alone.

“I myself was shocked when I was briefed of how many were arrested overseas.

“There is also a significant increase in locals getting arrested in Australia and South Korea,” he said during a press conference this morning at the Subang Jaya district police headquarters.

Most of these mules, he said, also took up the roles voluntarily with Malaysia being seen as a recruitment ground by several global drug syndicates.

“There was a recent arrest made in Negri Sembilan against a local who was sending Malaysians to countries as mules.

“At least five people have already been ‘delivered’ by him to foreign networks.

“The locals would be sent to a country, most of the time in Latin America, do a pickup, and deliver to another country,” he revealed.

Zulkifli revealed compensations between RM5,000 and RM10,000 awaited the mules upon completing a successful run, however not the case if arrested.

“They will first be given a deposit payment and then the remainder once they return safely, but if their luck runs out and are caught, they don’t get paid,” he said.

Earlier this week, eight Malaysians were charged for drug trafficking in Incheon, South Korea, after they were caught with a total of 13.3kg of methamphetamine.

They were accused of attempting to smuggle in the drugs, worth some RM161.4 million, from Malaysia into South Korea via the Incheon and Gimhae International Airports on five occasions from Dec 27 last year to Jan 17 this year.

The drugs, packaged in bags of one to two kilograms, were supposedly strapped to the suspects’ thighs and abdomens with bandages in hopes of passing airport security.

Even with advice and counselling, Zulkifli said the quick cash in return for the job still proved to be too hard to resist for some mules, a number of whom came from poor backgrounds.

“Maybe it’s the money, them being greedy, but their situations all force them to take the jobs, and sometimes they get caught,” he said.

Additionally, an employee of a Malaysian airline was among eight people arrested in Australia on charges of trafficking more than 14kg of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, earlier this month.

The 38-year-old airline crew member, said to be from Malindo Airlines, was part of a group that brought drugs from Malaysia on the aircraft for sale in Australian cities, Australian authorities revealed