KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — A drug dealer came up with a creative idea of hiding syabu in packets of monosodium glutamate and salt and was rewarded by his boss with a Lexus car and RM20,000. 

However, his plan failed when the police narcotics unit busted the internationally connected local syndicate he belonged to, recording the biggest haul so far this year with the seizure of RM18 million worth of methamphetamine (syabu) weighing 125kg.

The 21-year-old suspect was described by police as a “young” drug dealer who was eager to climb the ranks in a drug syndicate quickly.

His creative idea earned him the reward as an “early incentive” from his boss.

Bukit Aman Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (STING), which had been monitoring the syndicate for a couple of months, surprised him and two other “senior shareholders” of the syndicate at the basement parking lot of a mall in Subang USJ on Tuesday night.

Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said that in the 8.30pm raid, police arrested the three suspects and seized a Toyota Fortuner, the Lexus and RM20,000.

“We also found processed and ready-to-market syabu weighing 75kg in large gunny sacks inside one of the cars. Among the three arrested was a Singaporean in his 50s,” said Noor Rashid.

Hours later, STING went to Batu Berendam, Malacca, and raided a shophouse in Taman Merdeka Permai, where two more men were arrested and 50kg of syabu seized.

“All the suspects, aged between 21 and 58, had business backgrounds, and none of them had any criminal record.”

Noor Rashid  said all thr suspects had been remanded for a week. 

“We are looking for the remaining syndicate members. We know their whereabouts and are just waiting for the right time to pounce.”

Noor Rashid said STING’s investigation team had stepped up efforts to get more intelligence on the syndicate’s top members and the mastermind. 

In January last year, the Customs Department at KL International Airport seized 3.2kg of syabu worth RM800,000 hidden in four sea salt bottles. 

Two men, both 24, from Iran and Kazakhstan, were arrested.

There have been many attempts by drug mules to smuggle in syabu hidden in soap packets and sea salts.