JOHOR BAHRU (ANN/THE STAR) – Police have seized various drugs worth nearly MYR7mil by uncovering two syndicate groups operating out of gated and guarded apartments here.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said two separate operations were conducted last Tuesday (March 4), leading to the arrest of seven people, including a teenage school dropout.
He said the first operation took place in Bandar Seri Alam from 7.20am until 6pm, where two men and a Vietnamese woman were arrested.
“The syndicate used a rented apartment unit to store and repack drugs for distribution. They have been actively doing so since January,” he said at a press conference at the Johor police headquarters on Monday (March 10).
From the raid, 9.3kg of ecstasy, ketamine, and erimin 5 in powdered and pill forms worth about MYR1.59mil were seized.
Comm Kumar said the second raid, which took place in the city area, lasted from 4.30pm until 2.30am the following day.
The second raid led to the arrest of four individuals, including a woman and a 17-year-old boy, who is believed to have served as a runner for the syndicate.
There, police seized MYR5.38mil worth of drugs, including 32kg of ecstasy powder.
“The total seven suspects arrested include the masterminds of each group. The two syndicates were unlinked but shared a similar modus operandi. They repackaged different types of substances into each sachet, making them into a cocktail of drugs to be sold on the market,” Comm Kumar said, adding that each sachet was sold for about MYR250.
All seven suspects, aged 17 to 42, have been placed under remand until Wednesday (March 12) to aid in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking.
The offence carries a mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment and caning upon conviction.
