JOHOR BARU: Police have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate following two separate raids around here, which led to the seizure of drugs worth RM8.49mil and the arrest of two local men.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the raids were carried out by the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) at about 10.30am on Aug 5 following intelligence gathering.
He said the first raid was conducted at an apartment in Masai, where police arrested a 30-year-old local man and seized 132,600 Erimin 5 pills weighing 41.74kg and valued at RM4.17mil.
“Police also seized 53,000 ecstasy pills weighing 23.11kg and worth RM3.46mil, as well as 290 packets of suspected ecstasy powder weighing 18.92kg and valued at RM87,000,” he said in a press conference held at the state police headquarters here on Tuesday (Aug 11).
Comm Ab Rahaman said police also seized 13 packets of suspected ketamine weighing 11.80kg and worth RM590,000, and a packet of suspected methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) powder weighing 1.19kg and valued at RM178,500.
He said a follow-up raid in Taman Ehsan Jaya led to the arrest of another local man, aged 34.
“The total amount of drugs seized was 96.76kg, with an estimated street value of RM8.49mil. The drugs could have been used by an estimated 392,098 people,” he said.
Comm Ab Rahaman added investigations found that the first suspect acted as a storekeeper, while the second was believed to be an aide to the mastermind who paid the first suspect’s salary.
“The syndicate is believed to have been active since early May, with apartments in gated and guarded developments being used as storage facilities before the drugs were distributed to the local market,” he said.
Both suspects tested negative for drugs in preliminary urine screening and were remanded for seven days from Aug 6 to Aug 12. Police checks also found that both had previous criminal records.
Comm Ab Rahaman said police had also taken action under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, with seizures totalling RM945,000, including four cars, a motorcycle and RM100,000 in cash.
“The total value of the drugs and assets seized was RM9.44mil,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
