POLICE SEVERE DRUG PIPELINE TO JENGKA WITH ARREST OF FIVE IN MARAN

TEMERLOH, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- A drugs conduit to Felda areas was severed when police arrested five men, including a Thai national, at a house in Jengka Central in Maran for suspected drug trafficking.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said all the suspects, aged between 24 and 35 were arrested by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Maran district police headquarters around 4 pm last Thursday.

He said a check at the house uncovered an air pistol with 97 iron pellets in addition to a semi-auto pistol with a cartridge containing two live bullets along with disassembled gun components.

He said various drugs like heroin, syabu (ice meth), Yaba pills weighing 13.47 grammes (g) suspected to be for distribution and RM1,330 in cash were confiscated.

“The four local suspects have past criminal records including drugs and it is believed that this group has been active since the beginning of August.

“They are targeting addicts around Jengka Central but with the arrest of these suspects, police have managed to suppress drug trafficking and abuse in the Jengka and Felda areas,” he said at a press conference at the Kuala Krau police station here today.

He said the remand period of all the drug-positive suspects which ended today will be extended and the case will be investigated under Section 39A (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Section 8 of the Firearms Act (Heavier Penalty) 1971 and Section 6 (1)(c) of the Act Immigration.

Meanwhile, Yahaya informed that police are planning to build a gallery or museum at the Kuala Krau police station here to commemorate the bloody dawn attacks on the station that took place in 1948 and 1949.

He said the gallery will house records of events not only involving this station but can also display the history of the surrounding areas to future generations.

“Given that the existing police station will move to a nearby location and operate next year, we suggest that the old police station be turned into a gallery,” said Yahaya, who also signed a commemorative stone of the dawn attack.

The first dawn attack on June 26, 1948 killed Mahani Konel the heavily pregnant wife of policeman Mohd Yusoff Mohamad, while a policeman Hamzah was also killed during the second attack on Sept 11, 1949 by communists during the Malayan Emergency.

-- BERNAMA