POLICE DISMANTLE THREE DRUG SYNDICATES, SEIZE VARIOUS TYPES OF DRUGS WORTH OVER RM200 MLN

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) dismantled three drug distribution syndicates and seized various drugs, worth RM208.25 million, in several raids conducted from Jan 30 to Feb 3 in the Klang Valley.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said they also managed to arrest the leaders of all three syndicates, together with nine members.

He said that in the first operation conducted on Jan 30, his team successfully arrested three local men, aged between 40 and 48, while they were in a car at the Genting Sempah Rest and Service area at 10.50 pm.

"A search of a car parked on Jalan Kuchai Lama, here, led to uncovering  255 packets of suspected methamphetamine weighing 265 kilogrammes (kg), worth RM13.25 million," he said at a press conference here today.

Also present at the event was Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus.

He said the first suspect was believed to be the syndicate leader, while the other two suspects acted as "transporters" responsible for bringing the drugs from the East Coast to the Klang Valley for distribution.

"All three suspects were charged at the Kuala Lumpur Court today under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said.

In separate operations around Kepong here on Jan 31, Hussein said his team managed to arrest a local man along with a local woman and a foreign woman, aged between 38 and 58, and seized various types of drugs worth RM180 million.

"The seized drugs included 843.8 kg of MDMA, 325.2 kg of Erimin 5 pills, 104.3 kg of Ecstasy pills, 97.7 kg of ketamine powder, and 9.5 kg of Methamphetamine," he said.

He said the local man was believed to be the syndicate leader, while the two women were his girlfriends.

“The syndicate’s modus operandi was to rent houses in the Klang Valley as stores for the drugs before being distributed to the local and international markets,” he said.

According to Hussein, his team seized four cars, worth RM118,800, belonging to the syndicates.

"All suspects have been remanded for 12 days, beginning Feb 11. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said.

In the next operation on Feb 2 and 3, Hussein said his team arrested six individuals, aged 31 to 37, including three local men, one local woman, and one foreign woman and man, for their involvement in the distribution of suspected cannabis buds abroad.

Hussein said they successfully arrested all these individuals in Selangor.

He said the first arrest involved three individuals who were the syndicate leaders and two foreigners at KLIA Main Terminal, and the police search of the luggage carried by the two foreign individuals successfully found 60 packages believed to be cannabis flowers, weighing 33 kg.

Initial investigations revealed that both foreigners were used as drug mules to smuggle cannabis buds into the United Kingdom, and they are believed to have received payment of RM10,000, a vacation package and flight tickets," he said.

Hussein said the interrogation of the first suspect led to a raid on a house in Bandar Damai Perdana, Cheras, where 254 bundles of cannabis flowers weighing 133 kg were successfully seized.

"Police then conducted further raids in Taman Equine and in Bayan Lepas, Penang, and successfully arrested three more local individuals believed to be members of the syndicate and seized 40 packets of cannabis weighing 22 kg," he said.

"All suspects have been remanded for seven days until Feb 9 and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he added.

-- BERNAMA