A Nigerian man was on Thursday, May 12 arrested with RM2mil worth of
drugs hidden in seven horse statuettes. The 28-year-old was picked up at
about 3pm at an apartment
in Taman Prima Tropika, Seri Kembangan by narcotics and Special
Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group officers.
Bukit Aman Narcotics CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd
Shariff said 12.1kg of syabu (Methamphetamine) were found in 28 packets
hidden in the
horse statuettes.He said the success came from intelligence gathered by
the department and police's Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics
Group.
"Following information gathered by our
officers, police carried out an operation at the Sria Permai apartment
in Bandar Putra Permai about 3pm on Thursday
and nabbed a Nigerian man. The suspect, aged 28, was caught while he
was unloading boxes containing the horse replicas which, when checked,
contained four packets of drugs each inside. Tests conducted confirmed
that the drugs were methamphetamine," he told reporters during a press
conference at the department's office in Bukit Aman, today.
The
drugs were smuggled from China through a shipping cargo services. Comm
Mokhtar said the man, who tested negative for drug use and has a
valid passport, has been travelling in and out of Malaysia since 2014.
"We believe that he is a member of a Nigerian syndicate that has been
bringing in drugs via sea cargo for local consumption and export to
Western countries.
"These syndicates have in the past smuggled in drugs stored in water
filters, women handbags, ink cartridges and portable air conditioners
into the country. If these "horses" had been released to the public, the
drugs would have been made accessible to about 600,000 users.
"Don't take the authorities for a ride," warned Comm Mokhta.
The packets of the drug were cemented into the statuettes to avoid detection at immigration and security checkpoints.
The Nigerian man is being remanded for 14 days to facilitate investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Moktar
sad between Jan 1 and May 12, the department arrested a total of 97
Africans who were involved in drug- smuggling activities.
Source: New Straits Times
