PUTRAJAYA (Oct 21): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will deploy K9 patrol units inside the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) terminals starting next Monday, Oct 26, amid heightened scrutiny over recent transnational drug smuggling cases originating from the airport.

Managing director Datuk Mohd Izani Ghani said the deployment will cover passenger-facing areas such as the departure hall, arrival hall and customs inspection areas, enabling early detection of prohibited items and potential security threats linked to targeted flights.

He said the canine units will also be extended to baggage handling and sorting areas to reinforce checks on checked-in luggage before it is loaded onto aircraft or transferred to reclaim carousels.

"This layered security approach aims to strengthen coverage across passenger-facing and back-of-house areas, complementing existing security arrangements," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mohd Izani said a pilot phase will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the selected locations and identify any necessary adjustments to passenger flows and deployment schedules.

He added that KLIA will coordinate with relevant agencies on operational matters, including standard operating procedures, designated access for K9 units and handlers, and support facilities within the terminals.

"This collaboration also allows our aviation security personnel to remain focused on their core responsibility of safeguarding airport users and facilities. 

"We will continue to support the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency, the Royal Malaysian Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the K9 units in ensuring that KLIA remains a safe, comfortable and clean airport for everyone," he said.

Earlier, KLIA police chief ACP M Ravi said police had stepped up K9 patrols, previously conducted periodically, to bolster airport security following several recent incidents.

The tighter measures follow public scrutiny of screening protocols at the country's main international gateway after several Malaysians were intercepted overseas carrying illicit drugs.

On Oct 10, five Malaysians — two men and three women aged between 19 and 26 — were arrested by Japanese customs officers at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after about 5kg of cocaine worth ¥120 million (RM3.1 million) was found hidden in the hollowed-out insoles of their shoes.

Bukit Aman confirmed the group had departed from KLIA Terminal 2 and were allegedly acting as drug mules paid RM8,000 each.

The case followed another high-profile incident in July, when Indonesian authorities arrested a 39-year-old Malaysian commercial airline pilot upon arrival at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after uncovering more than 70,000 ecstasy pills weighing about 26kg and a packet of methamphetamine in his luggage.

Adding urgency to the tightened airport measures, Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan revealed on Tuesday that international drug syndicates were shifting tactics to evade airport detection.

He said their methods include last-minute flight bookings for drug mules and deliberately scheduling flights during peak hours at KLIA to exploit heavy passenger congestion.

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee