KUALA LUMPUR: The Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department has dismantled a cross-border drug trafficking syndicate with the arrest of three men and seizure of drugs worth more than RM23mil.
Its director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin said all three suspects, aged between 41 and 58, were arrested in a raid on a terrace house in Bandar Sri Damansara at 11.20am.
He said during the inspection, police found a plastic package of Chinese tea containing crystal powder suspected to be methamphetamine and slabs suspected to be ketamine in one of the rooms in the house.
Additionally, 10 white sacks containing 250 packages of Chinese tea filled with ketamine were found in the rear passenger seat of a Hyundai Starex MPV.
"Meanwhile, two sacks containing 30 Chinese tea packages filled with ketamine and 15 packages of syabu were found in the second-row rear passenger seat while 13 white sacks containing 260 Chinese tea packages filled with syabu were in the boot,” he told a press conference here on Saturday (Feb 15).
Khaw said the total seizure comprised 287.27kg of syabu and 289.45kg of ketamine, with an estimated value of RM23.67mil.
He said police also seized a Mercedes Benz E240, a BMW 523i, a Honda City, RM23,000 in cash and a Rolex watch, bringing the total value of the seized assets to RM140,000.
The three suspects received payments ranging from RM10,000 to RM50,000 per month from the syndicate leader for storing and distributing drugs for both local and international markets, he said.
"The modus operandi of the syndicate, which has been active since early December 2023, is to use a rented terrace house as a storage for drugs before distributing to the local market and exporting to Indonesia.
"Police are still tracking the syndicate leader, and it is believed that all these drugs were brought in by land from neighbouring countries in the north,” he said, adding that all the suspects were being remanded for seven days from Feb 12. - Bernama
