Police Bust Drug Syndicate With RM11.4 Million Seizure

JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Police seized 115.09 kilogrammes (kg) of drugs worth RM11.4 million in a raid on a house used as a storage facility in Taman Bukit Indah near Iskandar Puteri on Nov 3.

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said police also arrested a 55-year-old local man, who was the storekeeper, in the operation.

He said the syndicate’s modus operandi was to rent a gated and guarded terrace house to conceal its illegal activities.

“Investigations showed that the store is also believed to have been used to process powdered drugs into liquid form,” he told a press conference at the Johor police headquarters here today.

He said the drugs seized comprised 25.24 kg of ecstasy pills, 23.10 kg of syabu, 22.43 kg of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) powder, 13.40 kg of ketamine, 11.51 kg of ecstasy and 19.41 kg of Erimin 5 pills.

“Various drug processing equipment, a Toyota Vios car and RM10,000 in cash were also confiscated during the raid,” he said.

Ab Rahaman said police are actively tracking down the mastermind and members of the syndicate, believed to have been distributing drugs since July.

“We believe the syndicate has a network for sourcing drug supplies within the country before distributing them to the local market,” he said.

He added that the storekeeper, who has previous criminal, drug and traffic offences, has been remanded for seven days from yesterday.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

-- BERNAMA