Foreign drug traffickers operate under student guise, says report - The Malaysian Insider

27 Nov 2015

Drug traffickers come to Malaysia under guise of foreign students, with proper student documentation, police say. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 27, 2015.

Drug traffickers are being sent to Malaysia under the guise of foreign students, with proper student visa and university and college enrolment, said police as reported by The Star.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said drug syndicates were now using Nigerians to carry out such illegal drug-related activities.

"However, the students seldom or never attend classes as they are busy handling their illegal business," he told The Star.

Mokhtar said some 40% of foreign students detained for drug offences were from Nigeria; 30 out of the 80 foreign students arrested this year were Nigerians while others were from Somalia, Iran and Iraq.

Many of them, he said, were caught attempting to transport drugs in the Klang Valley and some were nabbed during raids in rented apartments, where they were found guarding drugs.

"We are working with the respective universities and colleges to detain syndicate members posing as students," he said.

"The colleges have been told to keep a lookout for those who sign up for courses and don’t turn up. Once the universities or colleges detect this trend, the police will be alerted."

The "students" were among 6,293 foreigners arrested from January to November this year, Mokhtar said, adding that police had also seized RM227.29 million worth of drugs, including syabu, ganja, heroin and erimin 5.

"We also seized RM68.63 million worth of assets belonging to drug syndicates," he was quoted as saying, adding that his department would intensify the war on drugs.

"Drug syndicates are destroying the lives of others. We will be relentless in our mission to bring down those involved."