KUALA LUMPUR: Police have crippled three drug syndicates involved in local distribution and international smuggling, seizing narcotics worth RM25.68mil in a series of raids across Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kuala Lumpur.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the operations, codenamed Ops Tebuan, Ops Plekoptera and Ops Tongkol, also resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects.
Under Ops Tebuan, seven suspects, six local men and a foreign national all aged between 34 and 58, were arrested in seven raids in Perak, Selangor and Kedah.
"The first suspect was arrested outside Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh on Sept 1, when we seized 26.2kg of cannabis packed in 50 transparent packages.
"Six more suspects were arrested in subsequent raids in Selangor and Kedah on Sept 30 and Oct 4, and we seized 210.32kg of methamphetamine and cannabis worth RM18.16mil," he told a press conference at city police contingent headquarters here on Friday (Oct 9).
Comm Hussein said the syndicate was believed to have been active since July, sourcing its supply from a neighbouring country through northern Peninsular Malaysia before distributing it in the Klang Valley.
"The syndicate also supplied drugs to mules for smuggling overseas by air," he said.
The first suspect was charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 on Sept 8, while the other six were charged under the same Section on Thursday (Oct 8).
Police also seized two cars and five bank cards worth an estimated RM118,000 under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988.
In Ops Plekoptera, Comm Hussein said police arrested five foreign nationals aged between 21 and 43 in four raids across the Klang Valley on Sept 23.
The operation led to the seizure of 38.33kg of ketamine and 38g of cannabis, valued at RM1.92mil.
Comm Hussein said the syndicate was believed to have been operating since March, concealing drugs in modified bags before using runners to transport them.
"The syndicate allegedly recruited Indian nationals entering Malaysia as tourists to transport drugs, paying them about RM1,000 per delivery," he said.
All five suspects were charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act on Tuesday (Oct 6), he said.
Meanwhile, Ops Tongkol resulted in the arrest of three local men aged between 35 and 49 in four raids across Selangor on Oct 1.
Police also seized 111.74kg of methamphetamine and 0.44kg of heroin valued at RM5.6mil.
The syndicate was believed to have been active since July, transporting drugs in cars and using parking areas at shopping malls in the Klang Valley as drop-off points for recipients.
The three suspects have been remanded for 14 days until Thursday (Oct 15) to assist in investigations.
One of them has a drug-related offence on his record, Comm Hussein added.
He said the drugs seized in all three operations could potentially affect 1.93 million people if abused.
Those convicted under Section 39B face the death penalty, or life in prison with at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Anyone with information on drug-related activities can contact the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222.
