JOHOR BAHRU: Police have crippled two drug trafficking syndicates operating in Johor and Penang, arresting five individuals and seizing various narcotics worth over RM3.6 million.
According to a Bernama report, Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said three suspects, a local man and two Vietnamese women, aged between 32 and 39, were detained in a series of special operations carried out by the Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and South Johor Bahru district police on Thursday and Friday.
He said the syndicate, believed to be active since April last year, used gated and guarded residences to store and process drugs for distribution to the local market.
The investigation began with the arrest of a local man by the roadside, which led police to a rented room in a shophouse in Johor Bahru. The suspect later led police to three luxury condominium units also rented by him, where more drugs were found and the two foreign women were arrested.
“Police seized 20.7kg of powder suspected to be ecstasy, 18.49kg of ganja, 154.25g of ketamine and 141g of Erimin-5 pills. We also confiscated various drug processing and repackaging equipment, as well as RM800 cash.”
He added that trafficking trends suggest a shift towards ganja flowers.
“This may be because ganja flowers have a higher hallucinogenic effect due to their purity, besides being more expensive, with an estimated market value of RM36,000 per kilogramme.”
All suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and are on remand until Thursday. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
In Penang, police arrested a 25-year-old local man and a 20-year-old foreign woman during a raid in the Pulau Tikus and Tanjong Tokong areas on Thursday.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the raid, conducted by the district’s Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division at 9.30pm, led to the seizure of 15 compressed packets of dried leaves believed to be ganja.
“The drugs are estimated to weigh 8.2kg and are worth RM25,420. They are sufficient for about 16,400 doses,” he said in a statement.
He added that the value of the drugs and other confiscated items was estimated at RM46,890.50.
“Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate had been active since early this year and was targeting the local market,” he said.
Preliminary urine tests showed that the male suspect tested positive for benzodiazepines. He also has four criminal records. The female suspect tested negative and has no prior record. Both have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
Abdul Rozak said police would continue intensifying operations against drug syndicates.
“We plan to strengthen cooperation with other agencies through information sharing and a holistic approach to address drug distribution.”
Those with information on drug activities are urged to contact the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department at 012-208 7222.
