JOHOR BARU: Police have busted a drug syndicate with the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of various narcotics worth RM3.5mil.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said the suspects, a local man and two Vietnamese women, were arrested in five separate raids conducted around the city on Thursday and Friday (July 10 and 11).
“The syndicate is believed to have been active since April, using rented rooms and condominium units as storage and repackaging sites for drugs before distributing them to the local market.
“All three suspects had no criminal records, but tested positive for methamphetamine,” he told a press conference at state police headquarters on Monday (July 14).
He added that among the drugs seized were 20.71kg of ecstasy powder, 18.49kg of cannabis, 154.25g of ketamine, and 141g of Erimin 5 pills.
“The drugs, valued at RM3.56mil, could have been supplied to 88,788 drug users.
“Drug processing and repackaging equipment, along with RM800 in cash, were also confiscated,” he said, adding that the suspects have been remanded until Thursday (July 17) to assist the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Johor chief police Comm Datuk M.Kumar (third from left) showing the cannabis buds that syndicate sold. With him are Johor deputy chief police Deputy Comm Abdul Latiff Mehat (second from right) and Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat (right).
The two women are also being investigated under Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 to verify their travel documents.
He urged the public to continue providing information on drug trafficking activities via the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department hotline at 012-2087222.
