GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have crippled two drug trafficking syndicates after arresting seven individuals, including a Vietnamese woman, and seizing various types of drugs and assets, worth over RM1.3mil, in a series of raids across the state, from last Friday (Jan 17) until Sunday (Jan 19).
State police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said in the first case, police arrested two local men and a Vietnamese woman in a raid on Saturday, which took place from 7am to 5pm in Butterworth, following intelligence and surveillance efforts.
"The three individuals, aged between 25 and 34, were arrested, and police seized 5,954g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and 915.71g of ketamine, with a total value of RM1.1mil," he said, in a statement on Sunday.
Hamzah disclosed that the drugs were obtained from a drug distribution network, and the suspects were distributing both type of drugs to entertainment venues around Penang.
One of the men works as a gold salesman, while his associate is unemployed. The detained woman is the girlfriend of one of the suspects, and they have been involved in drug trafficking since October last year, he said.
He added that the drugs seized could serve 50,000 drug users or 50,000 doses, while urine tests revealed that the two men tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, ketamine and benzodiazepines.
Police also confiscated a car, jewellery, branded watches and cash, all valued at RM56,000, as a result of the arrests.
In the second case, Hamzah said police arrested four local men, aged 24 to 48, in separate raids in George Town, for their involvement in drug trafficking, with various drugs worth RM66,215 seized.
"Between 10.15pm on Friday and 1.45am on Saturday, police seized 4,993.28 g of heroin, 544 cigarettes containing 942 g of mushrooms, 20 Erimin 5 tablets and 1.52 g of syabu," said Hamzah.
The suspects include a barber, a restaurant worker and an unemployed man, all members of an active drug trafficking syndicate since mid-last year, he said.
One of them has a criminal record related to drugs and other crimes, and following their arrest, police also seized a car and jewellery valued at RM153,000, he added.
All seven individuals are currently remanded for seven days, effective yesterday and today, with both cases being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - Bernama