KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — A man holding the title ‘Datuk’, believed to be the mastermind of a drug syndicate, was among 291 individuals detained in Op Gaurus conducted by the Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) across Perak, the Klang Valley and Johor last week.

Bukit Aman NCIID director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the suspect, in his mid-40s, is believed to be the leader of a secret society active in the states.

He said that in the operation carried out from June 17 to 21, police seized various types of drugs, including heroin, MDMA, ketamine, ecstasy pills, Erimin 5 pills and marijuana, with an estimated value of RM6.26 million, and arrested nine syndicate members.

“The modus operandi of the syndicate is to purchase drugs in bulk before repackaging them for sale at entertainment outlets.

“This syndicate is believed to have been active in Perak, the Klang Valley and Johor since mid-2024, and also possessed various equipment and precursor chemicals used to process drugs,” he said at a press conference here today.

Hussein said several vehicles, including a Nissan Sentra, Mazda, Maserati Ghibli, Toyota Alphard, Toyota Vellfire and Mercedes-Benz CL250, as well as two Rolex watches and RM4,383 in cash, were also seized in the operation.

He said the suspects, aged between 19 and 74, had been remanded, with five of them testing positive for drugs, and the case was being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama