KLIA customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said a man was arrested on April 17 for trying to smuggle out 14.65kg of cannabis buds worth almost RM1.44 million in his checked baggage on a flight to a European country.

He said the man was subjected to a baggage inspection after his travel was blocked by the Border Control and Protection Agency.

“During the baggage scan, the man attempted to flee but was apprehended by customs personnel.

“The inspection found cannabis buds packed in vacuum-sealed plastic to avoid detection,” Bernama reported him as saying today.

Zulkifli said on May 16, customs found 5.31kg of ecstasy worth almost RM900,000 smuggled in through a consignment at the cargo terminal in the KLIA free trade zone.

He said the drugs, believed to have originated from a European country, were packaged and declared as laptop components.

He said 10.18kg of methamphetamine, worth nearly RM300,000, was also intercepted on May 24. They were concealed in a consignment packed with clothing.

He said investigations into the drug shipments are under way but face obstacles as the smugglers usually use fake company names and addresses.

“We have gone to the (premises) declared in the consignment information, but the companies either do not exist or have other addresses,” he said.