Thaindian News

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 3 (IANS) Tip-offs are helping Malaysian authorities nab drug traffickers from India, most of whom carry ketamine, a media report said.
Malaysia has become a melting pot for international drug syndicates, drawing traffickers from Pakistan, West Africa, Iran and Latin America, a report in the New Straits Times said Wednesday.

Federal Narcotics deputy director (intelligence/operations) Othman Harun said: “The most effective weapon is intelligence networking with foreign drug enforcement agencies as it is not an isolated issue, but a scourge that plagues most countries.

“There have been several instances where successful drug busts in Malaysia were the result of tip-offs from our counterparts abroad,” the official said.

Each syndicate smuggles in a specific type of drug.

Pakistani traffickers bring in heroin, the Iranians come with ice, the Latin Americans bring in cocaine while the West Africans account for cannabis.

Investigations indicate that the West African syndicates also use drug carriers to smuggle in illicit drugs to other countries such as Thailand, China and Australia.

Due to the nature of Malaysia’s multi-racial community and the fact that there are small groups of foreigners already established here, these syndicates find it easy to blend in, the newspaper said quoting official statistics.

The immigration department statistics show that there are about 100,000 African students studying in Malaysia.