Market flooded with drugs
Cop: More substance due to price drop in Asian countries
GEORGE TOWN: A drop in drug prices in nearby Asian countries may have contributed to the rise in the substance flooding the market.
Penang deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Roslee Chik said countries in the Golden Triangle, especially Myanmar, had surplus production, leading to a 40% price drop in several types of drugs.
“If a certain drug was previously sold at RM50, the same quantity now costs only RM30,” he said during a press conference at the state police headquarters here yesterday.
The Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers.
Deputy Comm Roslee also said that during the recent arrest of a married couple in Bukit Dumbar, police also found three handguns and 81 bullets, which came along as a package with RM1.5mil in drugs purchased.
Between 11.20pm on Tuesday and 2.30pm on Wednesday, police arrested the couple during an operation at a flat in Bukit Dumbar.
“In the incident, a 52-year-old man and his 43-year-old wife were arrested and in their car, police found 21.2kg of syabu, 21,700 WY pills, four grams of heroin and 40 Erimin 5 pills worth RM1.5mil.
“Police also found two revolvers and a semi-automatic pistol, and 81 live bullets,” he said.
The husband, with nine criminal records, has been remanded until Oct 8.
His wife has been remanded until Oct 9 to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 8 of the Firearms Act 971.