Cops bust two drug syndicates, over RM1mil in narcotics seized and 11 arrested

GEORGE TOWN: Penang police busted two drug trafficking syndicates, seizing drugs worth more than RM1mil and arrested 11 suspects on March 28 and March 30.

Penang police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the suspects were detained in two separate operations in several areas in the island of Penang and Sungai Petani, Kedah.

He said in the first operation, a police team from Balik Pulau police headquarters Narcotic Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) and state Region One marine police arrested a local men aged 35 and a foreign national, aged 44, at Teluk Kumbar which led to the discoveries of 20 packages containing drugs believed to be syabu weighing about 21.02kg worth RM756,720.

"Police arrested the man who was in a fishing boat and discovered the drugs on him at the beach of Tanjung Assam in Teluk Kumbar," he said during a press conference at the state police headquarters on Friday (April 1).

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said following the arrest, police conducted another raid at the same location and arrested a foreign national believed to be the member of the drug trafficking syndicate.

He said further investigation found that the drugs were just received by the syndicate members and police believed that the syndicate has been active since early 2022.

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the drugs, which was for local distribution, can feed the habit of 105,000 drug addicts.

"Urine tests conducted on both suspects found one of them positive with methamphetamine," he said, adding that the first suspect is a fisherman and the foreign national works as a mechanic.

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said one of the suspects also has a past drug record prior to the arrest.

He said the suspects were remanded for seven days beginning March 29 to April 4 to facilitate the investigation.

During the operation, police confiscated a car worth RM10,000 from the suspect. Police are still investigating if there were other syndicate members at large.

The case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

In another operation, Comm Mohd Shuhaily said nine syndicate members including two women were detained in nine raids conducted in Penang and Kedah for their alleged involvement in ganja trafficking.

He said the suspects, aged between 25 and 55, were arrested during an operation by Bukit Aman NCID on March 30.

"The raids saw police confiscating 165 compressed blocks of drugs believed to be ganja weighing about 163.65kg worth RM409,125.

"We believe that the syndicate has been active since November last year and the drugs were for local distribution," he said.

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said three of the male suspects and one female suspect were found positive for ganja while the remaining syndicate members were negative.

He said four of the suspects also had prior drugs and criminal records.

He said the four suspects were remanded for seven days from March 31 until April 6 while the other five were remanded for three days until April 2.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

During the raid police also seized eight vehicles, four pieces of jewelry items, three watches worth RM226,550 and confiscating RM8,000 in cash.