BALIK PULAU: Police have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate following the arrests of three men, including two brothers, and the seizure of 49.38 kilograms of cannabis worth 153,078 ringgit.
Southwest District Police chief ACP Sazalee Adam said the arrests occurred during two raids in Pantai Jerejak, Penang, and Sungai Petani, Kedah, last Friday.
Acting on intelligence and surveillance, a team from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department carried out the first raid in Pantai Jerejak at around 9 pm.
“During the raid, two men aged 33 and 43 were inside a vehicle, suspected to be involved in a drug deal,” he told a press conference today.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 65 cannabis slabs weighing 49.38 kilograms and worth 153,078 ringgit.
He said a brief struggle ensued during the arrest as the two suspects attempted to flee, but police managed to apprehend them swiftly.
The arrest led to the second raid at a house in Sungai Petani, where the third suspect, an older brother of one of the men, was nabbed.
“Investigations indicate the syndicate sourced its cannabis from a neighbouring country, smuggling it in via land routes before passing it to middlemen for distribution across local networks,” Sazalee said.
The syndicate is believed to have been actively trafficking cannabis for the past two years, targeting areas in Penang and northern states.
The amount of cannabis seized is estimated to supply up to 98,700 addicts.
“We are now tracking down other members, including potential links to international drug trafficking rings,” he said.
Police also seized two vehicles, a Proton Exora and a Nissan Sentra, worth a total of 23,500 ringgit in connection with the case.
Sazalee added that the trio, who each have prior criminal and drug-related records, have been remanded for seven days to assist with investigations.
All suspects are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. – Bernama
