KUCHING: Customs officers in Chennai, India yesterday found ketamine concealed in a plywood box packed with Hindu deities bound for Malaysia.

The national news provider, Bernama, reported that the drug worth about RM1 million was addressed to a Malaysian address in Central Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

The box, meant to be an air consignment, bore a label which indicated it was a gift to a Tamil association and was declared as paper mesh holy deities.

It was only when a team of customs officers became suspicious of the unusual weight of the box and opened it, that they discovered there was nothing divine about its contents.

Commissioner of Customs (Imports), Seaport, C Rajan said his oficers felt suspicious about a heavy wooden box weighing 44.8kg at the courtier terminal early Thursday morning.

He said the box – addressed to a Tamil association in Kuala Lumpur and declared as containing paper mesh deities — contained eight statues bearing the likeness of Hindu gods Muruga and Mira.

“But the box was still heavy and upon breaking its false bottom cavity open, we discovered three polythene parcels.

“The illusive sender is suspected to be from Chennai,” Rajan, who is also commissioner of customs (airport) told Bernama yesterday.

He said each packet weighed 5kg and in total, they were 15kg of ketamine valued about RM1 million in the international market.

“As the sender had provided fictitious details, the Customs department was unable to trace the suspect.”

— Bernama