KLIA Customs seizes RM49.5m in AI chips with potential military uses, fifth case in RM100m syndicate probe

SEPANG, Oct 28 — The Customs Department at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) foiled an attempt to transit 30 servers containing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips worth nearly RM49.5 million without the required authorisation.

The chips could potentially be used in the development of military technology.

KLIA Customs director Aspalila Ag. Tuah said the seizure was made by a team from the KLIA Customs Enforcement Division following a thorough inspection of a warehouse in the KLIA Free Trade Zone on October 15 at about 11.30am.

She said preliminary investigations found that the servers had been brought in from an Asian country under a single air waybill declaring them as electronic components, allegedly to evade detection by the authorities, before being re-exported to another Asian country.

“The syndicate also used Malaysia as a transit point to ensure there were no restrictions on the export of the servers to their next destination,” she told a press conference here today.

Meanwhile, Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) Strategic Trade Secretariat senior assistant director Masyita Ismail said the high-performance AI chips were subject to strict controls as they were classified as dual-use items.

“The Strategic Trade Act 2010 regulates dual-use items, which can be used in the development of weapons of mass destruction,” she said, adding that the brands, countries of origin and destinations of the chips could not be disclosed as investigations were ongoing.

Miti enforces Strategic Trade Controller’s Directive No. 1/2025 to regulate the export, transit and transhipment of advanced AI chips in Malaysia, with the aim of preventing the country from being used as a transit hub for high-performance chips destined for sanctioned countries.

The directive stipulates that chips with a Total Processing Performance (TPP) value of 4,800 or higher, or 1,600 or higher when combined with a Performance Density of 3.2 or higher, require a permit, which must be applied for 30 days before the chips are brought into Malaysia.

Aspalila confirmed that the seizure was the fifth case involving the same syndicate recorded by Customs this year, with the total value of seizures across all five cases exceeding RM100 million.

She said companies handling the shipments had been called in to assist investigations, but no arrests had been made so far.

All the cases are being investigated under Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010, which provides for a fine of up to RM20 million for a corporation, or a fine of up to RM10 million, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both, for an individual convicted of an offence committed wilfully. — Bernama

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雪邦，10 月 28 日讯——吉隆坡国际机场 (KLIA) 海关部门挫败了一起未经授权擅自过境 30 台服务器的企图，这些服务器内装有价值近 4950 万令吉的先进人工智能 (AI) 芯片。

这些芯片有可能用于军事技术的发展。

吉隆坡国际机场海关总监阿斯帕利拉·阿格·图阿表示，10月15日上午11点30分左右，吉隆坡国际机场海关执法部门的一个小组对吉隆坡国际机场自由贸易区的一个仓库进行了彻底检查，并查获了这批货物。

她说，初步调查发现，这些服务器是从亚洲某国用一张空运提单从亚洲某国运来的，提单上将它们申报为电子元件，据称是为了逃避当局的检查，之后又被重新出口到另一个亚洲国家。

“该犯罪集团还利用马来西亚作为中转站，以确保服务器出口到下一个目的地时不会受到任何限制，”她今天在新闻发布会上表示。

与此同时，投资、贸易和工业部（MITI）战略贸易秘书处高级助理主任玛西塔·伊斯梅尔表示，高性能人工智能芯片受到严格管控，因为它们被归类为两用物项。

她表示：“2010 年《战略贸易法》对可用于大规模杀伤性武器研发的两用物项进行管制。”她还补充说，由于调查仍在进行中，因此无法透露芯片的品牌、原产国和目的地。

马来西亚国际贸易及工业部执行战略贸易管制员第 1/2025 号指令，以规范马来西亚先进人工智能芯片的出口、过境和转运，其目的是防止马来西亚被用作运往受制裁国家的高性能芯片的过境枢纽。

该指令规定，总处理性能 (TPP) 值达到 4,800 或更高，或者当性能密度达到 3.2 或更高时达到 1,600 或更高，则芯片需要获得许可，该许可必须在芯片进入马来西亚前 30 天申请。

阿斯帕利拉证实，此次查获的赃物是海关今年记录的涉及同一犯罪集团的第五起案件，五起案件的查获总价值超过1亿令吉。

她说，负责运输这些货物的公司已被要求协助调查，但目前尚未有人被捕。

所有案件均依据2010年《战略贸易法》第12条进行调查。该条规定，企业若故意犯罪，最高可被处以2000万令吉罚款；个人若被定罪，最高可被处以1000万令吉罚款、10年监禁，或两者并罚。——马新社

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