M’sian, S’pore police bust international drug syndicate
JOHOR BAHRU: The Malaysian police, aided by Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) plugged a major drug pipeline into the local market and the republic with the arrests of 14 people during four raids here two days ago.
An assortment of drugs worth about RM1.2 million were seized in the raids which were mounted between noon and 3.30pm in Taman Johor Jaya, Mount Austin, Taman Desa Jaya and Stulang Laut .
The drugs comprised 12.8kg of syabu, 4,333 pills believed to be ecstasy, 200 Eramin 5 pills and 0.95kg of suspected ketamine.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said seven Malaysian men, five Singaporean men, a Thai woman and a Singaporean woman aged between 19 and 65 were arrested to facilitate investigations into an international drug trafficking network.
He said the raids were carried out by Bukit Aman’s Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (STING), together with the Johor Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and CNB.
He added that the police also seized five cars, namely BMW, Toyota Altis, Kia Optima, Nissan X-Trail and Proton Wira, RM5,800, SGD$8,000, four Rado, Cyma, Citizen and Seiko watches, as well as some jewellery.
“Initial investigations have revealed the drug trafficking syndicate had been operating since early this year and one of the four raids which we mounted had also uncovered a mini drugprocessing laboratory.
“The results of urine tests also found that two of the local men, three Singaporeans and the Thai woman tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine. Five of the 14 suspects have records related to drugs and crime,” Mohd Khalil told a press conference here yesterday.
Mohd Khalil said the 14 were remanded for a week, beginning yesterday, for investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carried the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. - Bernama