Malaysian authorities have arrested three Japanese nationals for allegedly trying to smuggle 43kg of cannabis buds at the Kuala Lumpur international airport.
The men were arrested at the airport around 1.45am local time upon their arrival from Bangkok, the Malaysian border control agency said.
The border control authorities said "suspicious images" were detected during routine baggage scans at the international arrival hall.
“The suspects had arrived from Bangkok when the seizure was made," the agency said. A physical inspection of one of the six checked-in suitcases, along with several backpacks, revealed packages containing the contraband.
It added that the packages were found "hidden by covering with anchovies and dried shrimp and vacuum packed to evade detection".
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) on Thursday clarified that the trio were carrying cannabis buds in their luggage, correcting an earlier statement that said they had found 12kg of cocaine. The authorities did not provide any explanation for their error, according to South China Morning Post.
According to reports, cannabis buds are priced higher than leaves at RM98,000 (£18,049) per kilogram. Estimates suggest the seized amount of cannbis buds would be worth RM4.2million or about £776,120.
The agency said the suspects are being investigated for drug trafficking, which carries a death sentence or life in prison.
A Japanese nurse was caught with 3.5kg of methamphetamine at the Kuala Lumpur airport in 2009. Mariko Takeuchi was sentenced to death but following the reform of Japan's capital punishment laws in 2023, her sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison.
