THE STAR/ANN – Malaysian police dismantled an international drug syndicate by apprehending 12 foreigners and two locals, alongside confiscating 198.5 kilogrammes (kg) of drugs worth MYR11.6 million in several raids.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) Director Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said that among the detainees were the syndicate mastermind, a 49-year-old foreign man.
“The Johor NCID conducted raids between 3.40pm and 8.30pm on May 29 at seven locations – condominium units and gated and guarded houses in Johor Baru, Seri Alam, and Iskandar Puteri.
“Fourteen people were arrested. They were two local men, six foreign men, and six foreign women. All are aged between 22 and 52,” said Datuk Khaw. “All suspects are involved in processing and distributing various types of drugs, including ecstasy powder and pills, syabu, ketamin, Erimin-5 pills, and methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), including raw chemical items to process drugs,” he said during a press conference at Dewan Dato’ Onn at the Johor police headquarters yesterday.
Datuk Khaw added that the group’s modus operandi was to rent local condominium apartments and gated and guarded houses as a storage facility and as a ‘mini lab’ to process and distribute drugs internationally.
“We believed that the drugs were distributed by land, however, we are also not ruling out the possibility of them being distributed by sea. We have also confiscated close to MYR1.2 million worth of personal belongings and items such as six vehicles, 11 watches, and 13 items of jewellery, cash worth MYR204,069 and Singaporean currencies worth SGD22,970 (MYR79,905),” he said, adding that the group has been active since January this year.
The urine test revealed that three tested positive for drugs, while background checks revealed that five of the foreign suspects have prior cases in their record involving immigration, crimes, and drugs.
All suspects are under remand until June 5.
