The seizure was made from containers at Port Klang on March 15, making it the biggest ever drug haul in the country’s history.

Customs director-general Abdul Latif Abdul Kadir said the drugs weighing 16 tonnes were found hidden inside castor wheels in three 40ft containers that arrived at the port from the Middle East.

He said initial investigations found that the containers were meant to be shipped to an East Asian country.

For the record, Customs had seized 4.75 tonnes of drugs of various types worth RM790 million in 2019, 3.35 tonnes of drugs in 2018, and 2.86 tonnes of drugs worth RM117 million in 2020.

Speaking at a press conference at the Customs Narcotics Branch headquarters here, Latif said no arrests have been made so far.

“We are currently conducting further investigations to determine whether the drug smuggling involved locals.”

Latif said the modus operandi for such syndicates was to change the identity of each shipment.

“It is learnt that once the goods arrive in this country, they will be shipped to a third country before being sent back to their country of origin. This is the modus operandi employed by international (drug) syndicates.”

Latif said this seizure was made possible as a result of cooperation between Customs, police and the directorate-general of Narcotics Control under the Saudi Arabian home affairs ministry.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries the mandatory death penalty, upon conviction.