GEORGE TOWN: Penang police crippled a drug syndicate with three arrests and seized various drugs worth about RM1.5mil in raids on Monday (March 9).
State police chief Comm Datuk Azizee Ismail said the operation began at 12 noon on Monday and ended around 2am on Tuesday (March 10), involving three separate raids in George Town and North Seberang Perai.
"In the first raid, police detained a man at a parking compound in George Town area.
"An inspection inside the suspect's car found 120 plastic packets believed to contain MDMA powder, with an estimated weight of 3,024g," he said in a statement on Wednesday (March 11).
Comm Azizee said that in the second raid, police were led by the suspect to the same vehicle parking area, where another man and a woman were arrested.
He said a subsequent inspection of a motorcycle led to the seizure of 119 plastic packets suspected to contain MDMA powder, with an estimated weight of 2,213g.
In the third raid, police were led to a residence in North Seberang Perai, where a search of the premises resulted in the seizure of several types of drugs.
He said among the seized items were 252 plastic packets believed to contain MDMA powder with an estimated weight of 5,220g, 18 plastic packets suspected to contain ketamine powder weighing about 515g, and seven aluminium foil packets, each containing 10 pills believed to be Erimin 5 with an estimated weight of 19g.
He said police seized various assets, including three cars, jewellery, and cash, totalling an estimated RM224,544.
Comm Azizee said the investigation found that the suspects' activities as runners began last December, and the total drugs seized could supply 30,000 drug addicts.
He said urine screening tests found that two suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and ketamine.
A background check, however, revealed that all suspects, aged 22 to 28, had no prior criminal or drug-related records.
The suspects have been remanded for seven days until next Monday (March 16) to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
