MUAR: Police have crippled an international drug trafficking syndicate following four simultaneous raids in Johor and the Klang Valley on July 21, seizing over RM2mil worth of drugs.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the raids, which took place between 2pm and 5pm, were based on intelligence gathered since October 2024. It resulted in the arrest of 10 individuals - eight local men, one local woman, and a foreign man - aged between 29 and 70.
"The first raid, conducted in Parit Pulai, Parit Jawa, Muar, led to the arrest of a local man driving a Lexus. An inspection of the vehicle uncovered 51 plastic packets containing drugs believed to be methamphetamine, weighing a total of 51.1 kilogrammes,” he said at a press conference at the Muar district police headquarters on Friday (Aug 1).
He said two more individuals, a local man and woman, were also arrested during follow-up inspections in the same area.
In the second raid, at a house in Tanjung Labuh, Batu Pahat, police arrested a local man believed to be the syndicate leader. The third raid, conducted at a premises along Jalan Parit Bakar, Muar, resulted in the arrest of five more suspects.
In the fourth raid, conducted at a house in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, police arrested another local man and seized drugs believed to be methamphetamine weighing 10.2kg, along with 105 ecstasy pills weighing 51.3gm.
In total, authorities confiscated 61.3kg of methamphetamine and 105 ecstasy pills, with an estimated market value of RM2mil. The seized drugs were enough to impact approximately 306,756 individuals.
Hussein said further investigations revealed that five of the suspects were key members of a drug trafficking network targeting the Indonesian market. Their roles included acting as land coordinators, boat operators, and couriers tasked with smuggling drugs across the border via waterways.
"They are involved in drug trafficking full-time without holding any permanent jobs, and receive monthly payments ranging from RM3,000 to RM15,000,” he said.
He added that six of the suspects tested positive for various drugs, including ketamine, methamphetamine, THC, and benzodiazepines. Meanwhile, three individuals were found to have previous criminal records related to narcotics and firearms.
Police also seized various assets estimated to be worth RM725,655 under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, including five cars of various makes, two Yamaha T-Max motorcycles, luxury watches, jewellery, nine branded handbags and wallets, as well as RM2,580 in cash.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - Bernama
