Eight Arrested For Alleged Involvement In Firearms Smuggling, Drug Trafficking

JOHOR BAHRU, June 24 (Bernama) -- Eight individuals suspected of being involved with a firearms smuggling and drug trafficking syndicate were arrested after two criminals were shot dead in a shootout with the police in Taman Abad here on June 14.

Johor police chief CP M Kumar said the four local men, three local and one foreign women, aged 20 to 40, were arrested at a homestay and apartment building around Wadihana, Kempas Utama and Taman Abad here on the same day of the shootout.

“Police also seized three pistols, four objects resembling pistols, 141 pieces of live ammunition, a knife, handcuffs, various police equipment, drugs and a fake police identification card.

“The police identification card was in the name of one of the suspects who was shot dead. They were using the card for firearms smuggling and drug trafficking,” he said at a media conference at the Johor contingent police headquarters here today.

In total, six pistols and 167 pieces of live ammunition were seized along with RM96,082 worth of drugs - methamphetamine (99.76 grams (g)), cannabis (1,126.13g), ecstasy pills (249.88g), yaba pills (198.61g), eramin 5 pills (50.50g), ecstasy powder (50.49g) and heroin (49.66g) - from the shootout and during the arrests, he added.

One of the criminals shot dead during the shootout, aged 42, was believed to have been the head of the syndicate, Kumar said, while three of the seven locals arrested had prior records linked to criminal and drug offences, while another three had prior drug records.

The suspects are being investigated under Section 7 and 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, Section 307 of the Penal Code, Section 8(a) and 36 of the Arms Act 1960, Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Section 89 of the Police Act 1967 and Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, he said.

The shootout that killed the two criminals, aged 40 and 42, at around 5pm, June 14 occurred when the criminals, who were in a white Toyota Estima, opened fire at the police team that was tailing them after they realised they were followed.

-- BERNAMA