JOHOR BAHRU: Johor police smashed a drug syndicate after arresting two men and seizing drugs worth RM3.44 million in raids on four locations around the city and Tangkak from Aug 3 until yesterday.
Johor police chief CP M. Kumar said the duo in their 30s were nabbed in a special operation carried out by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) of the Johor police contingent headquarters (IPK) together with the Johor Bahru Selatan (JBS) CID.
According to him, the first suspect, a 33-year-old local man, was arrested on Aug 3 in a car used as storage to hide the drugs.
“Following the arrest of the first suspect on Aug 3 at 9 am, we arrested the second suspect who is 36 years old at a house in Tangkak yesterday. The two suspects are part of a drug packaging and trafficking syndicate,” he said at a press conference at Johor IPK here today.
He said their modus operandi was to use a vehicle parked at the apartment in Johor Bahru as a store for drugs by the syndicate which has been active since June.
“In the raids, police confiscated 18,634.60 grammes (gm) of ecstasy powder, 115 bottles of drug-laced juice (47.90 litres), 55 containers of jelly mixed with ecstasy (1,674 gm), 17 packets of ketamine (24.08 gm), 35 ecstasy pills (15.20 gm) and 50 eramin 5 pills (13.60 gm) worth RM3.447 million.
“Police also confiscated a car, two motorcycles and RM160 cash,” he said.
Kumar said this was the first seizure of drugs in the form of a jelly where each jar of the jelly drug was sold at RM150 to RM200.
“The syndicate also sells a combo of jelly and (liquid) drugs at a price of RM480, sold to specific customers. It also sells flavoured juice mixed with drugs and sold at RM200 per bottle in the local market. Usually, syndicates will use popular drink labels to avoid detection,” he said.
He said the two suspects tested negative for any drugs but both have past criminal records related to crime and drugs.
“The suspects are remanded until this Saturday for investigation under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Police are still tracking the remaining members of the syndicate who are still at large,” he said.
In a curious development, Kumar said police will conduct an investigation into the rise of electronic cigarettes (vape) containing ‘magic mushrooms’ which are popular among students.
According to him, so far no reports on magic mushroom have been received.
“I saw a newspaper clipping from Berita Harian that mentioned this matter. I have instructed the head of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) of the state to conduct intelligence on this. I also appeal to anyone with information on this to call the JSJN hotline 012-2087222.
“We assure informants that everything will be kept confidential when we take action,” he said.
Yesterday, a Malay-language newspaper reported an increase in school students in the city who are addicted to electronic cigarettes that contain magic mushrooms that are easily available.
Bandar Baru Permas Jaya neighbourhood association (KRT) chairman A. Habib Syed Sallilah Aasad was reported as saying said that sellers who now targeting magic mushroom sales among teenagers.
It is understood that the magic mushroom vape or ‘Shroom’ contains the active ingredient ‘psilocybin’ that has very strong hallucinogenic properties which alters the perception of reality.
