THREE ELDERLY MEN AMONG FOUR ARRESTED WITH DRUGS WORTH RM178,500

GEORGE TOWN, July 14 (Bernama) -- Police have smashed a drug trafficking syndicate with the arrest of four men, including three elderly individuals, and seizure of illegal substances worth RM178,500 in raids here.

Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the raids were conducted by a team from the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department at several locations between 9.05 am and 9.30 pm on Friday.

"Police first arrested a 59-year-old man in the parking lot of a residential area here, believed involved in drug trafficking, and seized 115 grammes (g) of heroin valued at RM920," he said.

"Following interrogation of the man, police raided a house in the area and a search showed one of the rooms was used as a drug processing lab by the syndicate led by the suspect.

"Police seized 377 g of heroin base valued at RM32,500, 1,474 g of heroin worth RM11,792, 4,099 g of methamphetamine worth RM132,000 and 3,474 g of caffeine worth RM1,200, as well as various utensils used to process methamphetamine and heroin," he said in a statement today.

Hamzah said police subsequently apprehended three men aged 60 to 62 in separate raids in Air Itam and Bandar Baru, all believed to be members of the syndicate.

Police also seized two plastic packets of heroin weighing 10.1 g valued at RM88.

"Further investigations revealed that the drug syndicate has been active since early March," he said.

Police also confiscated a Chevrolet car and a Honda Dash motorcycle.

He said three of the suspects tested positive for drugs and had records related to crime and drugs.

"All of them have been remanded for seven days until July 19 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said.

-- BERNAMA