KL Customs Thwarts Smuggling Of Agri-Drones, Liquor, Cannabis Buds

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) seized 20 drones for agricultural use worth RM1.56 million that were being smuggled in through the North Port in Klang.

Customs assistant director-general (enforcement) Raizam Setapa @ Mustapha said the seizure was made at 5.15 pm on April 23, following the detention of a 20-foot container at the port and an inspection in collaboration with the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) uncovered electronic goods consisting of drones.

“A thorough inspection revealed 20 units of DJI Agras T50 drones worth RM1.56 million, involving taxes and duties estimated at RM78,000.

“The drones were brought in from an Asian country for the local market and was declared as kitchen towels,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the importation of electronic merchandise such as drones required a Certificate of Approval (COA) from SIRIM before the merchandise is allowed into Malaysia.

In a separate case, Raizam stated that Kuala Lumpur Customs seized 21,351 litres of duty-free liquor worth RM2.81 million at North Port on May 7, hidden in a container carrying goods declared as furniture.

He said both cases were being investigated under Section 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for importing prohibited goods.

Meanwhile, Raizam said KL Customs also thwarted an attempt to smuggle out about 10 kilogrammes (kg) of cannabis flowers through the Mail and Courier Centre at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on April 29.

According to him, the package, which was declared to contain books, clothes, and toys, was seized after officers on duty scanned it and found images of organic material.

“An inspection found a number of packages of organic material suspected to be cannabis flowers weighing 10.055 kg, estimated at RM993,936; the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.

-- BERNAMA