Homestay Used As Drug Storage Site: RM13 Million In Drugs Seized, Four Held - Police

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has uncovered the modus operandi of a drug syndicate that used a homestay as a storage centre before distributing drugs to the local market, following a raid on a terrace house in Segambut here last Tuesday.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said four men, aged between 23 and 32, were arrested during the operation, which also led to the seizure of 250 plastic tea bags containing drugs believed to be syabu, weighing a total of 261 kilogrammes and estimated to be worth RM13 million.

“Investigations revealed that the syndicate has been active for the past six months and employed a modus operandi of renting rural houses for four-day periods to store drug packages before distributing them to the local market.

“The houses were rented at a rate of RM200 per day, and the syndicate frequently moved from one location to another to avoid detection,” he said at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur contingent police headquarters here today.

Fadil said each plastic tea bag contained about one kilogramme of syabu, estimated to be worth RM50,000, and that the total seizure, if released into the market, could have supplied up to 1.3 million users.

He said two vehicles - a Toyota Vellfire and a Perodua Alza - bearing fake registration numbers, as well as cash, were also seized.

Fadil added that checks revealed three of the four men arrested had prior criminal records, and all four were remanded for seven days until Feb 3 to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“We are still actively tracking down the remaining members of the syndicate and investigations are ongoing,” he said.

-- BERNAMA