JOHOR BARU, Oct 19 — The federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) has denied allegations that a Malaysian man who was arrested in connection with a seizure of over RM431.8 million worth of heroin in Australia was a drug mule.

Bukit Aman NCID director Datuk Razarudin Husain said the 38-year-old suspect was not a drug mule as he entered Australia in January 2020.

"So we can rule out that the detained man was a drug mule as he has been in Australia since 2020.

"If he acted as a drug mule, the modus operandi before the start of the movement control order (MCO) would be to smuggle the drugs by plane, before being arrested at the airport.

"However, he has been in Australia for about a year,” Razarudin said during a media conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.

Also present was Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

Earlier, it was reported that the Australian authorities arrested a Malaysian man for trying to smuggle in 450kg of heroin worth RM431.8 million into the country.

The drugs were found in a container transporting tiles from Malaysia to Melbourne.

The unnamed man was charged at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Friday.

Yesterday, Razarudin was reported to have said that Bukit Aman’s NCID had contacted the Australian Federal Police (AFP) over the arrest of a Malaysian suspected of drug smuggling in the country.

He said investigators were in the middle of obtaining further information.

Razarudin added that the investigation into the drug-smuggling case involving the Malaysian in Australia is still under investigation.

He said the information provided by the AFP could assist investigators to conduct a more thorough probe.

"The investigation will probably take in the region of a week to a month as we need to have quality intelligence gathering.

"This is a large syndicate and needs a thorough probe,” said Razarudin.