JOHOR BAHRU: Police have dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate operating out of a grocery shop following the arrest of three men and the seizure of drugs worth RM346,225 in the Taman Universiti area here last week.
Johor Bahru Utara police chief ACP Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said the men, aged between 22 and 29, were arrested by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division at about 7 pm on March 5.
He said the syndicate was believed to have been using the premises to store and distribute various types of drugs.
“This syndicate is suspected to have been operating on a small scale since January, and one of the suspects, a 29-year-old man, is the owner of the grocery shop,” he told a press conference here today.
He added that a total of over one kilogramme (kg) of syabu, 1.84 kg of ecstasy, and one kg of cannabis were seized, along with eight vehicles and RM1,000 in cash.
Balveer said all three suspects tested negative for drugs and two of them had previous criminal and drug-related records.
He said further investigations are underway to determine the source of the drugs and identify any other individuals involved.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and the three suspects have been remanded for seven days starting today, following the expiry of their initial five-day remand order yesterday, he added.
