Sarawakian couple allegedly paid three friends RM8,000 each to smuggle cocaine into Japan, says Bukit Aman

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said a Sarawakian husband and wife allegedly recruited three friends to traffic cocaine into Japan. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

First Published: Saturday, 17 Oct 2026 3:37 PM MYT

KUCHING, Oct 17 — A Sarawakian husband and wife allegedly recruited three friends to traffic cocaine into Japan, said Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan.

The Star reported that each of the three friends was paid RM8,000 and was believed to have known they were carrying contraband.

“We believe they knew what they were carrying. At the very least, they knew they were carrying something illegal,” he said at a press conference at Johor police headquarters on Friday.

Hussein said the couple had invited their three friends on what was presented as a holiday in Japan.

Each was given a pair of shoes containing concealed drugs before travelling to Kuala Lumpur International Airport for their flight to Tokyo.

The five suspects, all Sarawakians, were arrested at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo last Saturday after Japanese authorities discovered 5kg of cocaine concealed in the insoles of their shoes.

Police have also identified a sixth suspect who managed to return to Malaysia.

None of the five suspects had prior criminal records, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether they had travelled to other countries using the same modus operandi. — The Borneo Post