Mum, son held with RM1mil drugs

JOHOR BARU: A mother and son are among three people who were arrested during a police operation where drugs worth over RM1mil were seized.

Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the suspects, two men and a woman, were arrested in three separate raids in Johor Baru and Iskandar Puteri between last Wednesday and Sunday.

“The syndicate’s mastermind is believed to be a 40-year-old man, while the two other suspects are his own mother and a friend.

“The main suspect has a total of 46 criminal records related to crime and drugs. He is also a wanted person for six other cases,” he said at a press conference after presenting appreciation certificates to 83 people during the Johor police monthly assembly at its headquarters here on yesterday.

Comm Kamarul Zaman said the main suspect also tested positive for methamphetamine.

He added the drug syndicate, which is believed to have been active since October last year, uses an apartment in a gated and guarded area to store and pack drugs before distributing to the local market.

“Following the raids, we seized 16.47kg of ecstasy powder worth RM1.209mil, 7.77kg of cannabis worth RM24,000, 1.77g of syabu worth RM354 and 0.59g of Erimin 5 pills worth RM16.

“The total value of the drugs is RM1.233mil and could feed the addictions of some 62,690 addicts,” he said.

The police also found five bullets and drug equipment.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952, which carries the death sentence upon conviction.

It is also being investigated under Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960, which carries a maximum seven-year prison sentence, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both, upon conviction.

The three suspects have been remanded for seven days since last Thursday.

On a separate matter, Comm Kamarul Zaman said the police are tracking down a suspect believed to be responsible for two back-to-back fires at a surau and a mosque in Batu Pahat.

“From early findings, we believe the same person is involved in both cases based on the modus operandi,” he said in response to a question on the arson cases that took place on Sunday and Monday.

On Tuesday, Batu Pahat OCPD Asst Comm Ismail Dollah said a fire partly damaged Surau Ar Nur Parit Bangas at 10pm on Monday.

A day earlier, a fire also broke out at the Kampung Parit Simis Mosque at about 10.50pm.