Malaysian customs have seized over $12 million (49.5 million Malaysian ringgit) worth of advanced AI chips in a single bust, as the country clamps down on a suspected semiconductor smuggling syndicate. According to a Reuters report on October 28, officials found 30 servers containing the chips at Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s free trade zone on October 15th. Initial investigations revealed that the shipment originated in an Asian country and was bound for another undisclosed Asian country.
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The airport’s customs director, Aspalila Ag Tuah, confirmed that the servers were falsely declared as ordinary electronic goods, saying the suspected scheme used Malaysia as a transit point to avoid restrictions on the goods’ onward movement. The Malaysian company involved in the shipment has been summoned to assist in the investigation.
Authorities suspect that the foiled smuggling attempt was carried out by the same group responsible for a similar attempt last June. On June 5, customs officers discovered 72 server units containing advanced AI chips at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, valued at approximately $13 million. This shipment had also been falsely declared as computer components and was meant to be reshipped without the required permit.
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