Seized: Comm Hussein (right) showing the media the cauldrons that were confiscated while Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Shazeli Kahar (second from right) and other senior police officers look on. — LEONG WAI YEE/The Star
KAJANG: An international drug syndicate, dealing with billions of ringgit worth of drugs, has been dismantled following a series of raids.
The syndicate, believed to be headed by a foreigner, had been using Malaysia as a drug processing hub since January.
It catered mostly to overseas clients, including Hong Kong and Australia.
The syndicate, which also ran a scam operation, was busted by the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) in a series of raids since early this month.
In the latest raids on Dec 21, more than six tonnes of drugs with an estimated street value of RM1.04bil were seized in Seri Kembangan and Kepong, dealing a major blow to the syndicate.
The raids targeted remnants of the syndicate that was initially crippled in an earlier operation on Dec 16, during which drugs worth RM1.53bil were seized and six suspects detained.
Bukit Aman NCID director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the latest operation was a follow-up to the earlier raid codenamed Ops Gaharu.
“We seized 6.1 tonnes of liquid MDMA, 20.3kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of ketamine, with a combined street value of RM1.04bil, along with various equipment used to process drugs,” he told reporters yesterday.
Comm Hussein said the raids on Dec 16 and 21 resulted in the seizure of 24.7 tonnes of drugs valued at about RM2.6bil.
“This is arguably the biggest syndicate we have busted.
“They operated out of 14 premises – four factories and 10 residential properties – which were used as drug-processing laboratories and storage facilities,” he said.
Comm Hussein said the mastermind of the syndicate remains at large.
“We believe the drug precursors and chemists were supplied from the same country. The syndicate used Malaysia as a processing hub before distributing the drugs to several overseas destinations, including Hong Kong and Australia,” he said.
Comm Hussein added that police would seek the assistance of overseas counterparts and Interpol to track down the remaining members of the syndicate, including its mastermind.
Investigators believed the syndicate comprised more than 12 members and had been operating since January.
During the first series of raids on Dec 16, police arrested three locals and three foreigners.
According to Comm Hussein, the international syndicate hired locals to act as coordinators for its operations.
“Based on the equipment seized, it is clear this was a large-scale and well-organised drug operation,” he said.
Comm Hussein said the Dec 21 raids also led to an unexpected discovery – a scam call centre.
“We detained 14 suspects during the raid. We believed the drug syndicate was also moonlighting as a scam syndicate,” he said.
