NILAI: The Customs Department has seized RM12.29 million worth of drugs, mainly designer ones like ketamine and Eramin pills, so far this year.

It is triple the value when compared with the RM4.019 million worth of drugs seized in the same period last year.

The department's deputy director-general, Datuk Mardina Alwi, said a large amount of the drugs seized were designer drugs like ketamine and Eramin pills, which were valued at close to RM10 million.

From January to September last year, 90kg of ketamine were seized compared with 194.5kg for the same period this year, while for eramin pills it was 9,900kg and 151,900kg respectively.

"Most of the ketamine is smuggled in from India, while Eramin pills are mostly brought into the country from Taiwan," she said, adding there was a high demand for these drugs, especially in the Klang Valley where it was widely sold at nightspots.

"There were 20 cases of drug smuggling this year compared with only 13 last year, while this year, eight cases have already gone to court."

She said the department had intensified its efforts to crackdown on drug smuggling syndicates and had been receiving tip-offs from the public.

"However, one thing that worries us is that more syndicates are turning to drug mules to do their illegal work for them."