BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police have disrupted a drug syndicate operating in George Town after uncovering 37.8kg of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) stored in a car, part of a haul valued at RM6.3 million.
Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the drugs seized could have reached up to 80,000 users.
Six local men, aged between 33 and 41, were detained in raids carried out between 2 pm on Tuesday and 4.30 am today. The operation began with the detention of one suspect, which led officers to a parked vehicle used to store the drug.
“A search of the vehicle revealed two fabric bags containing 532 packets of purple and gold MDMA powder weighing 18.42kg. Five cardboard boxes in the same car held an additional 777 multi-coloured packets weighing 19.38kg,” he said at a press conference at the Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Headquarters (IPD) today.
Police also found packaging materials, including paper and plastic bags, believed to have been used for mailing or distributing the drugs.
The first detention led officers to five more suspects around George Town. All six are unemployed and believed to be part of a syndicate active since the beginning of the year.
Urine tests showed one suspect was positive for benzodiazepines, while four others tested positive for ketamine. Background checks revealed one of the men had 16 previous criminal records for theft, while four others had prior convictions related to drugs or other offences.
Authorities also seized seven cars worth RM297,000, jewellery valued at RM1,500, and RM2,550 in cash, bringing the total value of seizures to RM6.6 million.
Hamzah added that police are investigating potential links between the group and a separate drug bust last week, in which a man was found with multiple substances, including MDMA, worth RM2.1 million.
The suspects have been remanded for seven days until May 27. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
