Malaysia Seizes $12 Million Worth of AI Chips Amid Smuggling Crackdown

Malaysian customs announced on Wednesday that it seized approximately 49.5 million ringgit (US$12 million) worth of advanced artificial intelligence chips this month, as authorities close in on a syndicate suspected of smuggling high-performance semiconductors through the country's main airport. Malaysia imposed export controls last year on the movement of advanced AI chips of US origin, following pressure from the United States to stem their flow into China. On October 15, authorities discovered 30 servers containing these chips, indicating the scale of the operation.