AI · SEMICONDUCTOR · FACT CHECK

SKD WIRE

EN WIRE · 2026-10-28 17:12

Attempted Smuggling of AI Chips Worth 16 Billion Won Detected at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

True

Attempted Smuggling of AI Chips Worth 16 Billion Won Detected at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Image source: 조사 출처

Malaysian authorities at Kuala Lumpur International Airport have detected an attempt to smuggle AI chips valued at approximately 16 billion won, according to local customs reports and images published by regional media.

원문 주장 (KR)
말레이 쿠알라룸푸르 공항서 160억원 규모 AI칩 밀수 시도 적발

Enforcement Action at KLIA

The seizure attempt was documented by Malaysia's customs authority, with images released through local outlets including The Sun Malaysia and coverage by the South China Morning Post. The contraband consisted of AI chips, with published images showing hardware consistent with NVIDIA's H100 data center GPU line.

The 16 billion won valuation places the attempted shipment among the more significant AI chip smuggling cases reported in the region, reflecting the high market value of advanced data center GPUs subject to export controls.

Export Controls Drive Black-Market Demand

Advanced AI accelerators such as the H100 are subject to export restrictions in several jurisdictions, creating incentive for illicit channels. Kuala Lumpur International Airport has previously served as a point of scrutiny in cases involving restricted semiconductor hardware transiting Southeast Asia.

Details regarding the identities of those involved, the shipment's origin and destination, and any arrests have not been confirmed in the available reports.

The claim that an attempt to smuggle AI chips worth 16 billion won was detected at Kuala Lumpur International Airport is true.

Verdict: True

Sources — primary documents (12)
  1. https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0016406822
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20261028075436/https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/001/0016406822
  3. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-airport-customs-seize-advanced-ai-chips-smuggling-6498976
  4. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/ai-chips-worth-15-5-million-seized-at-malaysia-airport-customs-authority-says
  5. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3372404/
  6. https://thesun.my/news/malaysia-news/crime/malaysia-foils-12-mn-ai-chip-smuggling-bid
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20261028065757/
  8. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/06/1473681/rm529-million-ai-servers-seized-klia-under-trade-law
  9. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/ai-chips-worth-121-million-seized-malaysia-airport-customs-authority-says-2026-10-28
  10. https://borneobulletin.com.bn/malaysian-customs-foil-usd13-million-ai-chip-smuggling-bid
  11. https://www.businesstoday.com.my/
  12. https://www.kastam.gov.my

KR: /news/20261028-4fa0b7 · 판정: 사실