The Royal Malaysian Customs Department’s KLIA deputy director, Siti Baya Berahan (left), looks on as her officer, Yusaimi Yusof (second from left) shows how the smugglers hid the drugs. On the right is Customs senior assistant branch director of customs passenger inspection at KLIA, Foudzi Ishak. Pic by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

 A FORMER footballer from Nigeria was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for trying to smuggle in  more than 50 small packets of methamphetamine (syabu) in his stomach.

 The 27-year-old man, who used to play in the Nigerian junior league, was nabbed by KLIA Customs officers about 11pm on Thursday after a body scan revealed the drug in his stomach.

 KLIA Customs Department deputy director Siti Baya Berahan said the man was sent to Serdang Hospital where 35 packets of the drug, each weighing 15g,  had so far been retrieved from him.

 "The suspect was  carrying only a small backpack when he arrived, and he was behaving suspiciously," she said.

 "Noticing that something was amiss, our enforcement officers conducted physical checks but could not find anything on him.

 "A body scan was then conducted, revealing suspicious objects in his stomach, believed to be drugs, before he was rushed to the hospital immediately.

 Siti Baya said it was believed that the man had swallowed 75 packets of the drug with a street value of RM200,000 before he boarded the plane.

 "Initial investigations found that the suspect was promised US$2,000 (RM6,000) as payment for smuggling the drug here by a syndicate."

 Siti Baya said Customs officers had also arrested two foreigners early this month for trafficking in ketamine and methamphetamine.

 "On Feb 1, they nabbed an Indian national, aged 38, after they found 7.95kg of ketamine in a box he was carrying."

 "The box contained kitchen appliances. However, our scanner machine revealed  drugs, worth about RM143,000, hidden in a secret compartment at the bottom of the box," she said.

 The suspect had arrived from Hyderabad, India.

 Siti Baya said a 24-year-old Bangladeshi man was arrested on Friday for trying to smuggle 6.15kg of methamphetamine, valued at RM1.5 million, into the country.  He had arrived from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

nst