KANGAR: Perak police seized over 365 kilogrammes (kg) of syabu (methamphetamine) estimated to be worth RM13.14 million and detained a 40-year-old man at Kampung Belat Batu, Beseri near Padang Besar yesterday.
Its police chief, Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim said the drug seizure and arrest, based on information received, were carried out by a police team from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN), of the Perlis contingent police headquarters (IPK) at 3.30 am.
He said before the arrest, the suspect was seen alighting from a Proton Waja car and heading towards another car, a Toyota Vios.
“The results of an inspection on the Toyota Vios car found 17 stitched bags containing drugs suspected to be methamphetamine, believed to have originated from Thailand,“ he said at a press conference at the Perlis IPK here today.
Muhammad said initial investigations found that the suspect is believed to have used a forest area in the Padang Besar district as a transit point before the drugs were sent to the southern part of the country, with the amount of the illicit substance being enough for 3.6 million addicts.
He said the initial urine screening of the man found him positive for methamphetamine and he possessed past criminal records related to drug cases.
“The suspect has been remanded for seven days starting June 1 (yesterday) and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Police are tracking down another suspect who fled to assist in the investigation,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Muhammad also said that a 30-year-old Thai man was arrested by the police along with the seizure of two packages of compressed ganja (cannabis), weighing two kilogrammes, hidden in a garbage bin in the Taman Singgah Sana area, Padang Besar at 2.15 am yesterday.
“The drugs are estimated to be worth RM6,200 and can be used by around 20,000 addicts The suspect was also found to be positive for methamphetamine. The man was also remanded for seven days starting yesterday, and the investigation is being conducted under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,“ he added.