SEPANG, Dec 27 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department successfully intercepted an attempt to smuggle 81.34 kilograms of methamphetamine worth RM2.6 million to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Dec 17.

Customs Central Zone assistant director-general Norlela Ismail said the drugs were hidden in four parcels declared as stationery, intended for delivery via air freight service.

She said that at 10.15 am (Dec 17), the operations team detected suspicious objects in the parcels through a scanner at the Air Cargo Terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"Upon checking, the team found 80 transparent plastic packages containing crystal substance suspected to be methamphetamine.

"Preliminary investigation on the delivery slip for these parcels revealed that it was addressed to a suspected fake individual,” she told a press conference today.

Norlela added that the sender’s address was confirmed false through checks with the Companies Commission of Malaysia, which revealed that the company listed on the parcels was non-existent.

She further said the investigation is ongoing, aided by close-circuit television (CCTV) footage obtained from a logistics hub and parcel delivery centre in Shah Alam, recorded on Dec 13.

"The footage shows a local man delivering these parcels to the hub. We tracked the car he used, a rented Toyota Camry,” she said.

Norlela said that efforts to locate the man would be intensified to assist the investigation, as this is the largest drug bust involving parcel delivery via air freight.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama