No hiding: DCP Mat Zani showing the seized drugs concealed in Chinese tea packaging during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A shipment of mostly syabu, which was declared as plastic shards, was among the 2.1 tonnes of drugs seized during a special two-day raid.
The drugs confiscated last Thursday and Friday included ecstasy and ketamine, and were worth at least RM82mil.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) acting director Deputy Comm Mat Zani @ Mohd Salahuddin Che Ali said the shipment was believed to have originated from South America.
The first raid saw the arrest of three Malaysian drug pushers, aged between 27 and 39, at a house in Taman Nadayu, Kajang.
“They were caught while packing drugs,” he said, adding that the drugs were packaged as Chinese tea.
Inspections at the house led to the discovery of 830 packages and 56 sacks of suspected syabu alongside equipment used to repackage the drugs, he added.
DCP Mat Zani told a press conference here yesterday that additional raids were carried out the following day after the arrests with an apartment and condominium unit in Cheras being raided.
The raids there saw additional syabu, ecstasy and ketamine seized, leading to the entire operation confiscating 2.165 tonnes of drugs worth RM82.14mil.
Investigations showed that the drugs were intended for both the local and international market.
DCP Mat Zani said police believed the drugs would have been sold in South Korea and Japan where it could fetch higher prices.
“The drugs are believed to have been shipped in and hidden in sacks declared as plastic shards. They came in via Port Klang.
“What is interesting about this case is that we believe these drugs were not from the Golden Triangle but instead originated from South America,” he said.
All three drug pushers arrested were related to one another. Two of them have a police record.
The men, who have been involved in drug pushing since early this year, have been remanded until May 1.
DCP Mat Zani said the NCID worked with international partners including the US Drug Enforcement Administration on this case. This includes identifying overseas suspects.
