Syabu found hidden in soap and sandals
Badaruddin (third from left) and his team showing the sandals and soap containing methamphetamine hidden in special compartments
By Lee Yen Mun
The Star/Asia News Network
Thursday, Jan 24, 2013
SEPANG - A Nigerian computer salesman was detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after authorities found blocks of soap containing illegal substances in the man's luggage.
Suspecting something amiss after scanning the content of the man's bag, Customs officers cut open the blocks of soap.
This led to the discovery of packets of methamphetamine (syabu) inside the soap blocks.
The drug was also found in other items in the bag, including inside concealed compartments of several pairs of men's sandals and talcum powder bottles.
All in all, the Nigerian, who is reported to be 33 years old, was found in possession of 9.25kg of the drug with an estimated street value of RM1.7mil (S$686,000) in the market.
"The suspect was detained as he was trying to get past Customs at the KLIA after arriving from Doha," KLIA Customs director Badaruddin Moha-med Rafik said yesterday.
"Investigations revealed that he was entering Malaysia for the fifth time."
He said the Jan 18 incident was not the first time Customs officials had found drugs hidden inside blocks of soap in a smuggling attempt.
Two other drug seizure cases involving Indonesian nationals were made on separate occasions within the same week at the KLIA, bringing the combined confiscated drug value to RM3.27mil.
Badaruddin also said two Cambo-dian women were caught at the airport for bringing in 2,877 packets of cigarettes without an import permit.
One of the Cambodians was an 18-year-old housewife while the other was a 28-year-old businesswoman. They arrived at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal on Jan 17 from Phnom Penh.
The businesswoman was said to be visiting Malaysia for the 37th time.
