By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 15: Five Sarawakians, including three women, have been detained in Japan after five kilogrammes of cocaine were found hidden in the insoles of shoes they were wearing at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said Malaysian police received information from Japanese customs on Oct 10 regarding the detention of two men and three women at the airport.
Checks on travel records found that six Malaysians aged between 19 and 26 had departed together from Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 for Haneda on Oct 9, reportedly for a holiday.
“Five of them were detained by Japanese authorities on Oct 10, while the sixth individual was not detained and had returned to Malaysia,” he said in a statement yesterday (Oct 14).
Hussein said all six individuals had no previous criminal records.
Following the arrests, the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) will send an investigative team to Japan to conduct further investigations and work closely with Japanese authorities to share information and intelligence.
The investigation aims to identify the source of the drugs, those involved in the syndicate and possible international drug-smuggling networks.
Hussein urged the public to be cautious of overseas travel offers, particularly those involving requests to carry bags or belongings for other people.
He advised the public not to accept or transport items if they did not know what they contained, warning against being used as drug mules.
The NCID remains committed to combating drugs to protect present and future generations, he said.
Members of the public with information on drug-related activities can contact the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222. — DayakDaily
