R
Ranmaru Mori
Guest
Wednesday September 29, 2010
More Iranians trafficking drugs
By MARTIN CARVALHO
[email protected]
MALACCA: Most of the Iranian drug traffickers arrested at the KL International Airport were carrying syabu and their number has increased compared with traffickers from India, said Customs director-general Datuk Seri Ibrahim Jaapar. He said previously most of the drug traffickers arrested were from India and they were nabbed for carrying ketamin.
A total of 29 Indian nationals and seven Iranian drug smugglers were detained last year compared with 26 Iranians and five Indian nationals so far this year, he told reporters after opening the 64th Customs Directors Meeting here in Ayer Keroh yesterday. He said the drug smugglers were mostly arrested at the KLIA and the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang.
“We have comprehensive profiling of targets from these countries based on information received from the public and from our intelligence,” he added.
A total of RM64.7mil worth of drugs were seized by the department last year compared with RM34.9mil so far this year. He also said the department was confident of collecting RM28.2bil in tax revenue this year – the highest ever collected by the department so far.
In another development, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported in Teheran that Malaysia and Iran have signed an agreement to launch a joint campaign against trafficking of illicit drugs. The agreement was signed between Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Ali Abdollahi and Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop in Teheran on Monday.
Abdollahi said there was a growing concern over the bond between Iranian and Malaysian drug gangs. He said smuggling of drugs out of Iran had declined dramatically. Abu Seman described drug smuggling as a global concern which entailed a well-organised international campaign.
