KUALA LUMPUR: Some 44.93kg of cocaine worth RM9mil has been seized following a collaboration between Malaysian police and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said two men and a woman were also detained in raids conducted at two apartments in Cheras on July 16.
He said in the first raid at an apartment in Jalan Cheras, Batu 5, a man and his wife, both aged 41, were detained.
"The man was a drug runner while the woman was a chemist and storekeeper. We seized 44.93kg of cocaine and 52.5l of chemicals, believed to have been used to make the drug," he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Thursday (July 18).
The apartment unit was registered under the name of the female suspect, who paid RM2,350 rent a month, he said.
"The first raid led police to another apartment in Taman Kasturi, Cheras, where a 38-year-old man was detained. He was a runner for the drug syndicate and we seized 1kg of chemical powder there," he said.
Comm Khaw said the drugs seized could have been supplied to 225,000 addicts.
"We believe the syndicate used luxury apartments to store and process drugs. The cocaine seized was meant for the overseas market. We believe they used air transport to ship the drugs," he said.
Investigations showed that the syndicate has been active since early this year, Comm Khaw said.
"The third suspect was the only one who tested positive for drugs and had a prior criminal record. Assets belonging to the syndicate worth RM202,086 were seized, including three cars, jewellery, and watches."
Comm Khaw said the operation was possible due to the cooperation between the NCID and DEA.
"The sharing of vital intelligence led to the successful drug bust," he added.
Comm Khaw said the NCID will track down remnants of the syndicate still at large. Asked whether the drugs were meant for the US market, he said it was still under investigation.
"We believe cocaine is not that popular in Malaysia due to its high price, which leads to low demand. The street value of cocaine is RM200,000 per kilogramme. Syndicates prefer to ship the drug overseas due to having consistent buyers," he said.
Comm Khaw urged the public to assist the NCID by providing information on drug activities.
"They can do so by contacting the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222," he said.
