SHAH ALAM: A drug syndicate operating in territorial waters has been busted with the arrest of three suspected members.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the arrests were made on Feb 12 following intelligence gathered under Ops Tapis.
The group was believed to had been operating in Selangor waters and along the Straits of Melaka.
"The Sabak Bernam NCID conducted two raids and successfully arrested two men and one woman, all foreign nationals aged between 26 and 53, within the Sekinchan area," he told a press conference here on Thursday (Feb 19).
Follow-up investigations led to a raid on a fishing jetty in the same area, where 152 packets of suspected methamphetamine, five packets of suspected ecstasy and around 2,000 MDMA pills were seized, he added.
"The total estimated value of the seized drugs is around RM12.6mil. We also found a pistol with a loaded magazine alongside 45 rounds of ammunition in a boat," he said.
Investigations showed that one of the male suspects acted as the coordinator of the group while the other was the boatman and runner, he added.
The woman is married to one of the other suspects, Comm Hussein said.
"The syndicate is believed to have been active since early 2021. Their modus operandi involved using speedboats to transport drugs for distribution to neighbouring countries.
"We believe the drugs were being transported to another boat waiting for them at sea.
"We are working with our counterparts in Indonesia in this matter," he said.
He added that the male suspects claimed to be fishermen, but had been staying here without the relevant documents.
All three suspects, who do not have criminal records, have been remanded until Feb 26.
