RM8.8 mln drug bust in Penang, duo nabbed

GEORGE TOWN: Police crippled an international drug syndicate following the arrest of two men and seizure of various drugs worth RM8.8 million in five separate raids carried out around Penang on Monday.

Penang police chief Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan said based on intelligence gathered, a team comprise personnel from the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID), together with the state NCID, stopped a car with two men inside, aged 39 and 46, in Gelugor here at noon on Monday before conducting a search on the vehicle and found 8.2 kilograms of syabu (methamphetamine) and 2.9 kilograms of heroin base.

“Following the arrest of the two men, believed to be members of a drug syndicate, police also raided four more locations, including an apartment at the Mutiara Height and seized 64.45 kilograms of syabu and followed by another raid in Jelutong where 93.2 kilograms of syabu were seized.

“In a raid carried out in Sungai Dua, police seized 734 grams of heroin base and while in Balik Pulau we seized 18.6 kilograms of cannabis (ganja). The operations were carried out from noon to 7.20pm,” he told a news conference here yesterday.

Also present was Bukit Aman NCID deputy director Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

Thaiveegan said all the drugs were packed in Chinese tea packaging and believed to be brought in from the neighbouring country to be marketed in Malaysia.

The operations, in collaboration with the drug prevention divisions in China and Thailand, also saw the seizure of money in several banks’ accounts amounting to RM2.05 million, cash of RM370,000 and a luxury vehicle valued at RM220,000 from the two men, he said.

He said the two suspects had various criminal records and tested positive for drugs and they were remanded for seven days to assist in the investigations. - Bernama