MALASIA: 14 people arrested as Malaysian police cripple international drug syndicates...

Police in Malaysia crippled five international drug syndicates, seizing RM2.3mil worth of drugs hidden inside handbags, in the space of six days. 14 people were arrested among them Nigerians.
The raids, which were conducted by the Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (STING) and Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), took place in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Johor between April 1 to April 6.

NCID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff (pictured holding up one of the handbags used to hide the seized drugs) said the syndicates had all been using the same method of smuggling the drugs, which was through international courier and sea cargo services.

"The shipments came from China and we believe the drugs were destined for the overseas market," he said in a press conference at Bukit Aman on Friday, April 8.

He said the drugs were hidden in packages like shipments of handbags and other unsuspicious items.
He added that police also arrested 14 people, aged 26 to 54, including 10 foreigners from Nigeria, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam in the raids.

Comm Mohd Mokhtar said this was the latest in a series of drug busts in the first three months of the year so far.

"From January 1 to April 3, we have arrested 55,049 people for drug related offences and seized RM61.43mil worth of various drugs. We have also seized RM34.62mil worth of property related to these cases in the same period," he said.