PETALING JAYA: It is a dream job at an international company
dealing with the import-export of goods. The office is swanky with
various branches overseas. Cool boss, good money and if you are
lucky, the chance to travel what more could a fresh graduate ask
for?
More than they bargained for, apparently, as some young Malaysians
have recently discovered.
One is Umi Azlim Mohamad Lazim, a 24-year-old graduate of
Universiti Malaysia Sabah, who was enticed by a high-paying courier
job advertised on the Net early this year. She was caught at
Shantou airport in China with 2,983g of heroin in her luggage. She
has been sentenced to death.
Another is Raja Munirah Raja Iskandar, 22, a mass communication
student at a private college in Cyberjaya, who travelled to Japan
to be interviewed for a well-paid job last year, as recommended by
her Iranian friend.
She is languishing in a Japanese jail, serving a seven-year jail
term after being caught with drugs at the Narita International
Airport.
News reports reveal that in the past 11 months, about 32 Malaysian
women between the ages of 20 and 40 had been arrested for their
involvement as couriers.
Federal narcotics department director Comm Datuk Mohd Bakri Mohd
Zinin said that while there are a few who were tricked into
trafficking drugs by their foreign friends or acquaintances, many
of the young women were lured by good money and free overseas
trips.
He believes the number of women involved in smuggling drugs could
be much higher than what's on police record. There are also many
women consciously working for drug syndicates.
Up to now, over 30 women, mostly in their 20s, have been nabbed
but we wont be surprised if the number of women acting as couriers
is triple that, he said.
Foreign Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
agreed that many were inexperienced and unaware of the foreign
country's laws and culture.
Their cases show a similar pattern: many of them are first-time
travellers and had just got their passports, he said.
Lawyer Rosal Azimin Ahmad, who was hired by Raja Munirah's family
to help defend her, pointed out that international drug syndicates
have a new modus operandi.
Many syndicates use the cover of international companies to lure
young women with big salaries and travel opportunities. They prey
on young people's ambition to make fast money without working too
hard. Unfortunately, many of them are easily conned because they
are simply too impatient to get rich, he said.
He added it was getting more difficult to distinguish between a
real business entity and a drug syndicate as many now go the extra
mile to put up a facade of legitimacy.
The syndicates now make a lot of money so they can afford to set
up an office while their members live and dress well.
They can also afford to take time to gain not only their target's
confidence but also that of the family and friends.
For work, they offer the young women different positions, not a
courier's job. When they are settled in, maybe six months down the
road, they will be sent on an overseas assignment, he said.
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