GEORGE TOWN: Police arrested nine people including a Thai woman and seized various types of drugs worth RM855,101.65.
Penang deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad those detained were from three different drug syndicates who were nabbed during a drug sting from March 14 to March 17.
"In the first case, police arrested two men and a woman aged 36 to 41 during an operation that was conducted from 4pm on March 14 until 2am on the following day," he said during a press conference at state police headquarters.
DCP Mohamed Usuf said in the first raid of the operation, police nabbed a man in a parking area at Tanjung Tokong.
He said the interrogation of the suspect led the police to another location in Gelugor and Sungai Dua where police raided a house and detained a woman and a man.
He said in total police seized 9.31kg of syabu worth RM307,230 from the syndicate.
DCP Mohamed Usuf said police busted another syndicate with the arrest of a suspect on March 15.
"The 50-year-old suspect was nabbed at about 4pm on March 15 at an apartment in Batu Lanchang for his involvement in trafficking activities," he said.
He said, guided by the suspect, police went to two houses in Batu Lanchang and Jalan Datuk Keramat.
He said police confiscated various drugs including MDMA, ketamine and Erimin 5 pills during the operation.
He said an investigation found the syndicate had been operating since October 2023 and the drugs trafficked by the syndicate were meant for local distribution.
In the third operation on March 17, police raided an apartment in Jelutong where police caught five suspects including a Thai woman.
DCP Mohamed Usuf said during the operation police seized various types of drugs worth RM326,686.65.
"Among the drugs that were seized were MDMA, and Erimin 5 pills," he said.
He said all nine suspects from the three syndicates had been remanded for seven days between March 15 to March 23 to assist in police investigation in Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
