KUANTAN: Pahang police have busted a local drug distribution operation with the arrest of a man and the seizure of ganja worth RM359,600 last week.
State police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the 48-year-old suspect from Kelantan was arrested on the side of the road near the Sungai Ular food court on Jalan Kuantan-Kemaman here last Thursday after his car skidded while attempting to flee from police.
Checks on the car’s boot revealed 107 transparent plastic packets containing compressed lumps of greenish dry leaves suspected to be ganja weighing 111,663.51 grammes.
“At around 9 am on Thursday, East Coast Highway (LPT) 2 patrol officers stopped a Honda Accord at KM 267 of the highway heading towards Kuala Lumpur.
“When the police attempted to inspect the vehicle, the suspect sped off, leading to a chase towards the Jabor Toll Plaza. The suspect was then arrested after his vehicle crashed,” he told a press conference at the Pahang Police Contingent Headquarters here today.
Yahaya said the drugs could potentially be used by 111,663 addicts, making it the largest drug seizure by Pahang police this year.
He further said that the suspect, who is believed to have been active since early this year and is operating alone, allegedly obtained the drugs from a neighbouring country for local distribution, using the LPT route for transport.
The man has three previous criminal records related to drugs and tested positive for methamphetamine, he added.
The suspect has been remanded for seven days until Aug 8 to help in investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
