SHAH ALAM: Police busted a drug trafficking syndicate known as the Alstonia Gang after arresting nine suspects, including a foreign woman, and seizing various types of drugs worth RM5.11 million in five separate raids around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on Tuesday (June 3).
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said among those arrested were the gang leader, a local man working as an e-hailing driver and his foreign lover, who are believed to have been actively carrying out drug trafficking activities for the past eight months.
He said that in the first raid on a house in Bukit Jalil at about 5.50 pm, they nabbed a man and a foreign woman and seized MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) powder and juices suspected of containing drugs, each weighing 4,656 grammes and 3,000 millilitres.
“The second raid was conducted on a house in Semenyih and led to the arrest of a man and the seizure of powdery substances believed to be MDMA drugs weighing 230 grammes, followed by a third raid at 6.10 pm in Puchong where a male suspect was held and 966.10 grammes of ecstasy seized.
“At 10.30 pm, we conducted raid number four on a house in Kajang and arrested a man and seized 110 vape cartridges suspected of containing 2,880 grammes of drugs,” he told a media conference here today.
Hussein said the suspect then led police to a house in Kajang, where they seized MDMA powder weighing 21,452 grammes, ketamine (4,722 grammes), ecstasy pills (641 grammes) and erimin 5 pills weighing an estimated 1,960 grammes.
He said that following interrogation, police then arrested three men and a woman around Selangor and Kuala Lumpur who are believed to be involved with the syndicate.
“In addition to the syndicate leader and his lover, who has lived in the country for the past 10 years, seven other suspects, all aged between 24 and 38, worked as food traders, personal shoppers and barbers.
“Six of them tested positive for drugs and three tested negative, while three of them also had previous records related to crime and drugs,” he said.
Hussein said the syndicate targeted entertainment centres around the Klang Valley to sell to individuals via face-to-face interaction and also online.
He added that police also seized five vehicles - Proton Preve, Toyota Vios, Hyundai Sonata, BMW 320i and Honda Civic - jewellery, watches, LV-brand handbags and various cash denominations, with the total seizure amounting to RM341,449.16.
“This success is a result of the intelligence we carried out for two months and all suspects have been remanded for seven days, with the case being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.