Senior cops going to Australia over drug bust

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Aman will send senior officers to Australia to help authorities there in their probe into a major drug ring, following the arrests of six Malaysians suspected of being members.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the officers would go there as soon as possible.

“We are working with the Australian authorities. It is alarming that Malaysians are involved,” he said yesterday.

He said Bukit Aman would help its Australian counterparts uncover the mastermind behind the syndicate.

“International cooperation is vital to combat drug syndicates effectively,” he added.

AFP reported that the Malaysians were among 14 suspected members of the international ring, who were charged in Australia following the seizure of more than A$200mil (RM586mil) in drugs.

Eight of them were the Chinese crew of a commercial fishing boat.

Border forces detected the boat off Australia’s west coast on April 27 but when it was boarded at sea several days later, no drugs were found.

Police investigations led to two properties in Perth where 200kg of crystal methamphetamine – or “ice” – was found.