Police: Syndicate busted, 1.8 tonnes of syabu found in lorry on tow truck

KANGAR: A drug syndicate botched an attempt to avoid detection when smuggling 1.8 tonnes of syabu worth about RM64.8mil in a lorry on a tow truck.

Perlis police chief Datuk Surina Saad said the drugs were uncovered after the police stopped the tow truck during an operation near Jalan Sungai Baru Simpang Empat at about 4am on Sunday.

“During the inspection, the enforcement team found 27 sacks, with each containing 25 packages believed to be syabu, in the lorry that was on the tow truck,” she told a press conference here yesterday.

She said four men and a woman, all locals aged between 29 and 49, were arrested to facilitate the investigation.

They have been remanded until tomorrow for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, reported Bernama.

Following their arrest, the police also seized three vehicles worth RM271,000, jewellery (RM94,525), a luxury handbag (RM15,000), RM7,000 cash and RM19,078.65 from the suspects’ bank accounts, she added.

Surina said one of the suspects attempted to bribe the police by offering a sum of RM200,000.

The case has been handed over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.

In Iskandar Puteri, VENESA DEVI reported that a university student was caught smuggling about 1kg of cannabis in a parcel declared as a drawer.

Customs Department officers detected the drugs, which were sent to the suspect through a courier service.

“The parcel was declared as a plastic drawer. However, upon inspection, we found drugs worth about RM2,502 wrapped in a transparent plastic cover,” Customs Department deputy director-general Datuk Sazali Mohamad said at the Sungai Pulai Customs Enforcement Complex yesterday.

He added that the suspect, a 21-year-old local student, was arrested at 12.15pm yesterday at Taman Bukit Dahlia, Pasir Gudang.

Sazali said his department was looking for the 24-year-old brother of the suspect, who is also a student. He is believed to be involved.

“Based on what we know from the investigations, we don’t think the drugs were sold on the local market or that the suspects work for a drug gang.

“However, based on the amount seized, we believe that the suspects got the cannabis for their own use or to share with their friends,” he added.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B and Section 15 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Sazali also said that there has been an increase in drug smuggling cases through courier services.

“In these cases, the drugs are falsely declared as other items,” he added.