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Five Malaysians, four men and a woman, were arrested at Haneda Airport for allegedly smuggling about 5kg of cocaine, roughly 1kg each, hidden under the insoles of their shoes.

The group was caught during a customs inspection upon landing in Japan after departing from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Officers grew suspicious of one suspect when they noticed his unusually thick-soled shoes.

The group carried about 1kg of cocaine each, with 500g concealed beneath the insole of each shoe.

Four suspects admitted to the allegations, but the 25-year-old woman denied them. She claimed she wasn’t aware that the package she carried had cocaine.

One suspect told investigators he was offered RM8,000 via Telegram to smuggle drugs overseas, and was handed a pair of specially prepared shoes to conceal them.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are now looking into whether the group was recruited by a Malaysia-based crime syndicate.

Recent Drug Smuggling Arrests Involving Malaysians

On 1 October, authorities in Laos arrested 13 people, including a Malaysian co-pilot, over the alleged trafficking of 521kg of crystal methamphetamine via Malaysia and Laos, believed to be bound for the Philippines.

Last month, five Malaysians were apprehended at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on suspicion of smuggling 5kg of the synthetic drug etomidate hidden inside their shoes.

In July, a Malaysian pilot was taken into custody at the same airport for allegedly bringing more than 70,000 ecstasy pills, weighing 25kg, into Indonesia.

READ MORE: Malaysian Co-Pilot Among 13 Arrested in Laos Meth Bust — Third Such Case Since July

READ MORE: A Malaysia Airlines Pilot Landed In Jakarta With 26kg Of Ecstasy, A RM50,000 Promise, And Cocaine In His System

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