Bukit Aman to send team to Japan over five Malaysians held in Tokyo airport cocaine bust

File picture of passengers walking through the arrival hall at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, February 18, 2022. Five Malaysians were arrested at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo last Saturday after Japanese authorities found 5 kilogrammes of cocaine stashed in their shoe insoles. — AFP pic

First Published: Wednesday, 14 Oct 2026 10:30 AM MYT

Last Modified: Wednesday, 14 Oct 2026 10:34 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Five Malaysians were arrested at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo last Saturday after Japanese authorities found 5 kilogrammes of cocaine stashed in their shoe insoles.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said six Malaysians aged 19 to 26 had departed from Terminal 2 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2) on Friday.

Five were detained in Tokyo, while one returned to Malaysia.

“The Japanese authorities informed us about the arrest of two men and three women at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on October 10, 2026.

“Japanese Customs found five kg of cocaine hidden in the insoles of the shoes worn by all the suspects,” he said in a statement here today.

Hussein said the NCID had identified the six individuals. Five were Sarawakians, and none had a criminal record. 

He said the NCID would send a team to Japan to conduct investigations and obtain information on the detentions, including the drug syndicate networks involved in Malaysia and internationally.

“Japanese authorities are investigating the source of the drug supply, including the syndicate members involved and the international drug-smuggling network,” he said.

He advised the public to be wary of holiday offers, particularly those requiring them to carry bags or belongings for others overseas.

He also urged the public not to accept or carry items with unknown contents, to avoid being used as drug mules. — Bernama