Arrest warrant issued for fugitive drug kingpin, says Deputy IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has issued a warrant of arrest for a drug kingpin who is believed still in Asia.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Razarudin Husain, said that PDRM was working with Interpol to track down the drug suspect, who hails from the north of the Peninsula.

He said that the man had left Malaysia almost a year ago.

“Most drug kingpins make Malaysia a transit country before the drugs are distributed to the international market,” he said during a special press conference at the Narcotics Complex of the Police Training Centre, Kuala Lumpur, today.

Razarudin said that the wanted man also had business dealings in shipping, hospitality, tourism and transport, apart from being believed to be involved in the ‘black economy’ and money-laundering.

In the meantime, he said that police had busted 279 drug syndicates and arrested more than 1,000 individuals including drug kingpins for the period from January to Nov 30 this year.

“Thus far, we have managed to arrest kingpins who were the masterminds in drug trafficking syndicates in Johor and Penang,” he said.

He admitted that it was quite difficult to identify kingpins of drug syndicates because they were using legitimate businesses as a front for the purpose of anonymity, to evade being known to the police.

“As long as the PDRM does not arrest these kingpins, they will recruit syndicate members, and that poses a challenge to police,” he said. – Bernama