SIBU: A 52-year-old man, believed to be the mastermind behind the state's largest drug trafficking syndicate, has been released on police bail following the expiry of his remand period.
The decision was made on Thursday (June 26) by Senior Assistant Court Registrar Jessica Lee Suk Kiun, acting as Magistrate, after Investigating Officer Inspector Aminur Rizwan Saiful Bahari submitted an application.
The suspect, who was not represented, had previously been remanded for seven days from June 20.
Earlier, his 44-year-old wife was also released on police bail on June 24 after the expiry of a four-day extended remand.
The couple were arrested following a series of raids carried out by the Sibu District Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (JSJN) on June 12 and 13.
Drugs and assets seized from them totalled RM8.5mil, marking the biggest haul in the state's history.
The raids were conducted at a shop located at the Pedada Commercial Centre and two terraced houses in Lorong Permai Jaya.
As a result of the operation, police managed to seize various types of drugs with an estimated street value of RM532,934.40.
The haul included 7,086.7 grams of syabu, 2,078.9 grams of ketamine, and 2,022.6 grams of Erimin 5 pills.
Also confiscated during the operation were RM5.16mil in cash, four gold bars, two gold chains, two luxury Rolex watches, and three vehicles.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the couple are believed to be the principal figures behind a drug trafficking syndicate that has been actively operating in the Sibu area since 2015.
