Customs department intercepts 6,000 amphetamine pills concealed in jeans

KLANG: Drug traffickers are now using inventive methods to smuggle amphetamine pills, known as ‘pil kuda,’ by hiding them in clothing items and falsely declaring their shipments as apparel to evade detection.

This was revealed when the Customs Department intercepted a parcel containing 6,000 amphetamine pills valued at RM9,000 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s air mail and courier center last month.

According to Norlela Ismail, Assistant Director-General of the Central Zone Customs Department, the pills were concealed in three packets hidden within a pair of jeans found in the package.

“The shipment was falsely declared as clothing to avoid detection by authorities before being sent to Southeast Asian countries,” Norlela explained to reporters.

She added that the department is actively tracing the sender, believed to be from one of the East Coast states, using the address on the consignment. The case is under investigation for drug trafficking under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

In a separate incident, Norlela reported that the department also seized a container with four million cigarettes worth over RM2.9 million, including RM320,000 in unpaid taxes. The contraband was discovered during checks at the West Port Free Zone on June 4.

“The syndicate had falsely declared the shipment as ‘wood marquetry and inlaid wood’ in an attempt to avoid detection,” she said.