JOHOR BARU: Instead of engaging in leisure activities in the Johor Straits, two male Singaporeans have been caught possessing 130 litres of cough medicine worth more than RM75,000.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the Marine Police Region II launched a special operation, leading to the arrest of the two suspects at around 6pm on Tuesday (Dec 3).
"The two suspects, aged 45 and 50, were detained at Senibong Cove Marina Jetty near Masai on a Singapore-registered boat.
Checks on the vessel found five barrels containing a black liquid believed to be cough medicine.
"We believe that they received their supply here before trafficking it overseas," he added.
ACP Raub said this during a press conference held at the Johor Baru South police district headquarters on Thursday (Dec 5).
"Checks found that the two suspects had the necessary documents to cross into Malaysian waters for leisure fishing activities earlier this month.
We believe this is part of their cover to avoid being caught by Malaysian authorities," he said, adding that one of the suspects also tested positive for drugs.
He said that the Johor Baru South police would be working closely with their Singapore counterparts as part of their ongoing investigation against the two suspects.
ACP Raub said besides the cough medicine, police also seized the boat worth RM270,000, one mercury engine worth RM120,000, a set of boat keys, and four mobile phones from the suspects.
He added that both suspects were under remand until Saturday to assist with the investigation under Section 9(1) of the Poisons Act 1952 and Section 30(3) of the same Act.
