KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has summoned representatives from several companies to assist in investigations into alleged hazardous material smuggling via cargo at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The smuggling is believed to have been carried out by falsifying the declaration of contents as household goods.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said so far, representatives from several companies have been summoned by the commission to provide their statements.
He said the MACC is closely scrutinising all existing procedures related to the management of goods entering and leaving aircraft.
“The MACC also does not rule out the possibility of summoning several enforcement agencies, whether directly or indirectly involved in passenger and cargo security at airport entry points nationwide.
“The investigation also includes efforts to identify whether there have been attempts to bribe enforcement agency officers at KLIA by interested parties, particularly to avoid enforcement action,” he told Harian Metro today.
Azam said that, concurrently, an examination is being carried out on governance aspects of cargo gate operations to ensure that all procedures are followed and that no gaps or weaknesses exist that could be exploited by any party.
“So far, the MACC has summoned eight witnesses identified as being directly or indirectly linked to the issue under investigation, to obtain statements and complete the overall investigation process.
“The investigation team also does not rule out the possibility of calling more individuals as witnesses at a later stage, depending on necessity, new information received, and developments in the investigation,” he said.
He added that the investigation is being conducted under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009.
Previously, the media reported that the MACC was investigating allegations of hazardous materials being smuggled via cargo at KLIA, believed to have been carried out by falsifying the declaration of contents as household goods.
The case has raised concerns following two fires at the airport last year, believed to have been caused by improperly declared chemicals.
Preliminary investigations found that weaknesses in governance and oversight created opportunities for smuggling activities, including failures in the declaration process of dangerous goods by courier companies.
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