JOHOR BARU, Oct 19 — The federal police will hold discussions on closer cooperation with the Customs Department, following two incidents of international drug syndicates using Malaysian ports as transit points to smuggle illicit drugs to a third country.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Razarudin Husain said all ports, especially seaports, in the country werre under the jurisdiction of the Customs Department.

He said such as ports were gazetted as prohibited areas and usually be placed under a specific government agency such as the Customs Department.

“Bukit Aman NCID will be meeting with our counterparts in the Customs Department to look into the issue of ports in Malaysia that are being transit points for drug trafficking syndicates,” said Razarudin briefly to reporters after a press conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.

He said this in reply to a question about the federal police stopping an attempt by an international syndicate to smuggle 398.28kg of syabu (crystal methamphetamine) with a street value of about RM14.33 million that was bound for the Philippines on October 16.

Prior to that, the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) channelled information regarding the shipment from Guatemala, heading towards Malaysia, was ferrying drugs to their country.

Razarudin said close working cooperation, including sharing of information and close relationships with counterparts from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines and Greece have help in curbing international drug trafficking syndicates.

On the latest case that involved assistance from the Customs Department, Razarudin said initial investigations showed that the container was part of an international trans-shipment.

“It was traced from Guatemala, Panama, Shanghai, to Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) here, before it was to be sent to Manila in the Philippines.

“Acting on the information, police together with the Customs Department inspected the container at PTP last Saturday where the drugs hidden in coffee containers were found,” explained Razarudin.