Malaysia foils $12 mn AI chip smuggling bid

Malaysian customs officials foiled a smuggling attempt involving $12.11 million worth of advanced AI chips at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The bust was the fifth case this year involving a syndicate smuggling advanced AI chips with the total estimated value exceeding $24 million.

The airport customs director said that the servers were improperly declared as "electronic components" to bypass regulatory oversight during transit. The shipment originated from an Asian country and was slated for re-export to another Asian nation without the required trade permits, she added.