KUALA LUMPUR: One of the five Malaysians arrested in Japan over an alleged attempt to smuggle five kilogrammes of cocaine has claimed he was told that airport staff had been bribed to allow the group to pass through without being checked.
The five Malaysians were arrested at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on October 10 after Japanese customs officers discovered cocaine concealed inside the insoles of their shoes.
According to Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, six Malaysians aged between 19 and 26 had departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 on October 9. Five were detained in Japan, while the sixth individual returned to Malaysia.
Japanese authorities reportedly found a total of five kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the suspects’ footwear, with approximately one kilogramme carried by each individual.
One of the suspects also claimed he had been offered RM8,000 through the Telegram messaging application to transport drugs overseas. He was allegedly given specially prepared shoes to conceal the narcotics.
The claim concerning bribed airport staff has not been independently confirmed.
Hussein said Bukit Aman would send a team of investigators to Japan to obtain further information about the arrests and determine whether the suspects were connected to local or international drug trafficking syndicates.
Japanese authorities are investigating the source of the drugs and working to identify other individuals who may be involved in the operation.
Hussein said the six Malaysians had been identified, with five reportedly from Sarawak. None was found to have a criminal record, according to the police.
He also urged Malaysians to be cautious when accepting overseas travel offers, particularly those requiring them to carry luggage or other belongings for someone else.
Members of the public were advised not to transport items whose contents they could not verify, as they could unknowingly be used as drug couriers.
Investigations into the alleged smuggling attempt and the possible involvement of a wider trafficking network are ongoing.
-FMT
