Published: Friday September 17, 2010 MYT 2:26:00 PM
Number of drug mules down
KUALA LUMPUR: While the number of drug mules from Malaysia arrested in foreign countries has declined in the first six months of 2010, the problem is still a cause for concern. This is because local and international drug syndicates are still recruiting drug mules, albeit in smaller numbers, and sadly naive local youths are the easy prey.
Up to present, a total of 1,490 Malaysians are languishing in foreign prisons for drug-related offences including drug mules. Statistics from Bukit Aman indicate that between January and June this year 38 Malaysians were detained in foreign lands for carrying drugs and out of the total 29 were male and nine female. This is a steep decline when compared with the figure for the whole of last year totaling 119 persons - 89 men and 30 women.
STUDENTS AND YOUTHS THE TARGET
The total detained for 2009 is a further reduction from 2008 that recorded 150 Malaysians arrested in foreign countries for carrying drugs with 98 of them being men and the rest women. The International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) pointed out that the current trend is that the syndicates are targeting on Southeast Asia and East Asia in their drug mule recruitment drive.
Their victims are normally between the 20s and 30s age range, free from criminal records and unemployed or employed in clerical, sales or service sectors. The recruiters are often African nationals, who sweet talk the victims with promises of lucrative paying foreign assignments. Many of the victims are lured by gifts and exciting vacations. The cyberspace is often the mode used by the syndicates to approach their victims.
The victims are often students or youths, often ignorant, lacking in education, from broken or poor families, who are easily manipulated by drug syndicates. Christina Anak Luke Niju, 22, from Sandakan, Sabah, is a good example how easily the students fall prey to the syndicates operating in the cyber realm. The business studies student at a polytechnic in Kuching, Sarawak is now being detained in China for carrying drugs.
She innocently followed a boyfriend, whom she met through a social website, to China and was arrested by the authorities. Meanwhile, Nur Dhiya Ain Rosman known affectionately as Baby, who went to South Africa to take up a tour guide job, realised too late that she was actually being made a drug mule. Baby, who was recruited by an African is now incarcerated in Ravensmead in Cape Town, South Africa for carrying a bag containing 1.2 kgs of Syabu.
COMPLAINS BUREAU According to Umno Community Complains Bureau Chairman Datuk Muhd Khairun Aseh, the fate that befell Baby is not an isolated one. The bureau helps the innocent victims and not those who voluntarily chose to be a drug mule.
He related to Bernama that women are most vulnerable to the temptations of the syndicates. Other than being showered with love, they are also promised the luxuries and jobs that they have been dreaming of. "The vast reach of the social websites provides an easy avenue for the syndicates to make contact with their victims," he said.
DISABLED ALSO PREYED UPON
"The international drug syndicates are resorting to numerous tactics to lure their victims that include the disabled and the mentally challenged," he said illustrating a case handled by the bureau involving a disabled and mentally challenged man.
P. Jayakumar, 37, is disabled and has received treatment 19 times for his mental condition at Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan for the last 10 years but even in such physical and mental state the drug syndicates found him a good choice to serve as a drug courier.
His first assignment was to collect a table lamp in Brazil. "He left with a ticket only with the travel documents arranged by the syndicates, but while in transit at Buenos Aires, the Argentinian authorities nabbed him on the suspicion he is a drug mule," he said.
With the assistance from Interpol, Jayakumar was located in Argentina, and the bureau set out to help him after learning he is a victim of the syndicates. "We helped him by proving that he has mental problems through the treatment records and secured Jayakumar's release and he returned to his family last April," he said.
VULNERABLE WOMAN
The bureau also handled a case where a woman living under poverty and on welfare assistance was duped into becoming a drug mule. The women fell victim to an African national who convinced her that there is more money to be made if she sourced the material for her sewing business from overseas.
She was taken in by the lucrative proposal and set out to Milan, Italy, to procure fabrics with a friend with passports and the travel documents arranged by the syndicate. "They failed to realise that they were carrying bags containing drugs and were arrested upon arrival.
"They were initially given a 20-year sentence, but after appealing, it was reduced to six years and the bureau is now working to further reduce the sentence," he said. In another case, the bureau helped a Malaysian women detained in Pakistan for the same offence two years ago. This is a more convincing approach used by the syndicate - the scratch and win gimmick that coincidently the victim took part.
The victim in her 40s was contacted by the syndicate that she had won a three-day two night holiday package to Singapore. Before the holiday was over, the victim was contacted again and told that there is a big bonus for her in the form of another holiday in Karachi, Pakistan.
"Without thinking further, the victim accepted the holiday offer and set off to Karachi but was detained upon arrival when drugs were discovered in the bags that she was carrying," he said. She was given a two-year jail sentence but, following an appeal, she was released and returned to her home in Perlis.
GREATER VIGILANCE NEEDED
Khairun noted that to eradicate the drug mule menace, the airport authorities should exercise greater vigilance, especially during the baggage check-in. "I find that, at present, no serious attention is given during the baggage check-in process and this provides avenue for syndicates to make use of others to check in their baggage. "All that is needed is a simple form to be filled by each passenger declaring their baggage and, therefore, suspicious baggage can be detected early," he said. - Bernama
