BINTULU: Customs officers have intercepted multiple cannabis-laden parcels in recent months, exposing a trafficking tactic that relied on courier services and fictitious recipient details to evade detection.
Sarawak Customs Director, Datuk Norizan Yahya, said operations between April and May resulted in the seizure of 4.32kg of suspected cannabis worth RM129,660.
The seizures were made in four separate cases.
On April 11, Customs officers intercepted two parcels addressed to non-existent or incomplete addresses.
After no one came forward to claim the shipments, further checks found 548g of suspected cannabis valued at RM16,440 inside.
“The biggest haul was recorded on April 28 when officers detained a local man after he claimed a parcel at Park City Commerce Square.
“A search of the package uncovered 25 compressed blocks of suspected cannabis weighing 2.62kg, with an estimated value of RM78,600.
“The fourth operations, on May 14, also saw another arrest involving a local man after he claimed two parcels at Jalan Sungai Nyigu.
“The parcels were found to contain 10 compressed blocks of suspected cannabis weighing 1.15kg and worth an estimated RM34,620,” he said at a press conference today (June 11).
Norizan stated that syndicates were believed to be using courier services to transport narcotics by declaring the shipments as ordinary goods while using fictitious recipient details to evade detection by authorities.
All four cases are being investigated under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Upon conviction, the offence carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and, if life imprisonment is imposed, not fewer than 15 strokes of the cane.
