SEPANG: Two MASkargo staff members were among four people arrested after police uncovered a drug distribution syndicate that had been “exporting” methamphetamine overseas.

       Federal Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Razarudin Husain said the arrests were made from Oct 22 to 26.

       “The shipment of drugs was identified after five boxes were screened via a scanner. Inside, 180 packets of suspected methamphetamine were found, amounting to 200kg,” he told a press conference at the KLIA police station here on Monday (Nov 1).

       He said the first suspect was arrested at Core 3, Paddock 54, at MASkargo here. The remaining suspects were arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

       Two of the four suspects aged between 34 and 59 were employees of MASkargo, Comm Razarudin said.

       “Investigations showed that this was the fifth shipment by this group, and that this shipment that we intercepted was due to be sent to Auckland, New Zealand. It is believed that the group had been active since April this year.

       “Members of the syndicate have been identified including the supposed mastermind,” he said, adding that the value of the seized drugs has been estimated to be around RM8.1mil.

       The suspects have been remanded until Friday (Nov 5).

       On the latest about the Malaysian man arrested in Melbourne for allegedly smuggling A$140mil (RM432mil) worth of heroin into Australia, he said police were aiming to bring down the whole syndicate, and not just arrest “one or two members”.

       “This is a big investigation and it will take time so that we can dismantle the whole syndicate.

       “If we just want to arrest one or two, we can but this is a huge syndicate,” he said.