Rogue Malaysian beauty influencers are money laundering for drug gangs, police say

A beauty influencer has been arrested in Malaysia after police uncovered a kilo of methamphetamine and links to a major drug syndicate

Police have seized luxury cars, jewellery and cash from a social media influencer in northeastern Malaysia, as authorities uncover links between a booming online beauty industry and drug syndicates needing to launder money.

Assets valued at around 1 million ringgit (US$235,000) – including a Range Rover and Toyota Alphard – were confiscated on Friday following the arrest of a beauty entrepreneur in Terengganu state. The suspect was detained on April 28 with 1kg (2.2lbs) of methamphetamine.

Terengganu police chief Mohd Khairi Khairuddin said the suspect, whose identity has been withheld, was being held for interrogation and would be released on Monday.

“The results of the examination of the suspect’s body found a green plastic bag containing 1.02kg of syabu,” Mohd Khairi said on Friday, using the local term for methamphetamine.

The suspect also tested positive for Nimetazepam – a powerful sedative – and could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane, if convicted.

This case is the latest in a worrying trend linking Malaysia’s cosmetics influencer industry to cross-border drug syndicates. Kelantan police commissioner Mohd Yusoff Mamat – whose state shares a porous border with Thailand – had previously warned of beauty entrepreneurs serving as fronts for laundering drug money.

“The business appeared successful, but in fact it was a mask for illegal activities,” Mohd Yusoff said in March, citing arrests made since 2020, including a drug sting involving more than 5 million ringgit’s worth of narcotics.

The warning comes as Malaysia’s local cosmetics sector is booming, generating an estimated US$3.2 billion in revenue last year. However, this growth runs parallel to a surge in drug trafficking.

In January, authorities at Malaysia’s main transshipment hub of Port Klang seized 33.2 tonnes (36.6 tons) of methamphetamine worth 1.06 billion ringgit bound for Australia. Between March 2024 and February 2025, Malaysian police seized over 100 tonnes of narcotics and arrested 219 syndicates nationwide.

Fuelled by TikTok and a high rate of internet penetration, influencer culture has taken off in Malaysia, turning entrepreneurs flaunting lavish lifestyles into local celebrities. This visibility boosts their business credibility but has also drawn scrutiny.

Following the arrest, public sentiment has turned critical of the ostentatious wealth displayed by some influencers.

“Famous global brands all started from the bottom,” wrote social media user Faris Rahman.

“These people have only been around for a year and suddenly they’re rich – even though their products aren’t even well-known.”