Bukit Aman suspects cocaine-in-shoes arrest at Hong Kong airport linked to Malaysia drug bust

On November 7, a Hong Kong man was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport, suspected to be linked to a recent international drug bust in Malaysia. The arrest comes after customs officers discovered about one kilogramme of cocaine concealed in the man's shoes during an inspection upon his arrival from Kuala Lumpur. The Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) believes this arrest is part of a larger operation targeting an international drug trafficking syndicate.

According to Bukit Aman's Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, the similarities in the modus operandi, type of drugs, and destinations — Hong Kong, Japan, and Indonesia — suggest a connection to the recently dismantled syndicate. Hussein stated that the syndicate's alleged leader, a Hong Kong national, and a local recruiter were apprehended, announcing the news during a press conference.

The Hong Kong man, aged 36, was seized after Hong Kong authorities informed Bukit Aman and shared relevant information about the arrest and drug seizure. The cocaine seized in the Hong Kong case was not believed to originate from Malaysia, but was reportedly used as a transit point before reaching its intended destinations through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or Penang International Airport.

In a separate operation conducted on November 5 at a homestay in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, PDRM arrested four individuals, including the suspected syndicate leader, and seized 450 grammes of cocaine along with two pairs of shoes. These shoes were reportedly intended for two other individuals who had been recruited as drug mules by the syndicate. The syndicate, active since September, is believed to have recruited Malaysians to smuggle drugs overseas.

Notably, authorities had previously arrested five individuals at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and five others at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo in September and October, all linked to the same syndicate.