SEPANG (ANN/THE STAR) – Customs officials seized 210kg of ganja buds worth MYR20.57mil at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Free Trade Zone. The drugs were hidden in cat and dog food packages, as well as snacks, to evade authorities. Customs Department (Central Zone) acting assistant director-general Dr Ahmad Taufik Sulaiman said the seizure occurred on March 15. “Customs officers conducted checks at a cargo terminal in the KLIA Free Trade Zone and discovered the contraband,” he said at a press conference on Monday (April 14). The cargo, from a Southeast Asian country, was destined for a European country. No arrests have been made. “The cargo was declared as recycled clothing to pass through checks,” he said. Ganja buds are valued at MYR98,000 per kg, compared to MYR33,000 per kg for ganja leaves. “Ganja buds are more valuable as they can be replanted to produce more ganja leaves,” he added. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. “We will work with the police to further investigate and uncover those responsible for the in-transit cargo. We have encountered this modus operandi before,” he said. This is the largest seizure of ganja buds at KLIA this year. “We urge the public to help us combat smuggling of drugs, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Smuggling not only causes national losses but also endangers people,” he added.