IPOH, Nov 10 — A drug raid led police to an unexpected seizure when they found a live mortar round besides an assortment of narcotics at a suspected traffickers’ house in Bagan Seberang, Kuala Kurau, on Tuesday morning.

The bomb disposal squad was summoned to detonate the mortar round under controlled conditions.

Perak Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department chief ACP R. Ravichandran said investigations were under way to ascertain why the mortar round was kept by the suspect, a 47-year-old unemployed individual.

“It could have been meant as a deterrent to enforcement officers or for self-defence,” Ravichandran said.

“This is the first time we have found a live round during a drug bust. This means we always need to be prepared during these operations.”

When police raided the house at about 4.30am, they found the 60mm bomb mortar round near a vase in the front section.

Various types of drugs were also seized, including 1.2kg of heroin, 13g of amphetamine as well as Erimin and Ecstasy with combined market value of RM32,422.20. The supply can cater to 1,500 addicts.

The suspect had 11 records of criminal and drug offences.

Follow-up operations led police to the arrest of two other people in Bagan Serai linked to the trafficking activities.

One of the two was a 25-year-old woman, who was picked up at her house in Taman Seri Kurau, where police seized 97.77gm of amphetamines.

Forty-five minutes later, they arrested a 49-year-old man at a residence in Jalan Siakap, seizing 16.94g of heroin, 2.7g of amphetamine, 350 Erimin 5 pills and seven Ecstasy pills.

Ravichandran said the syndicate had been active for two months in the Kuala Kurau and Kerian areas in northern Perak.

“We are determining whether there are any other individuals involved in this syndicate,” he said.

The three suspects have been remanded for seven days until next Tuesday and the case is investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. 

The 47-year-old man is also under investigation for possessing explosives under Section 8 of the Explosives Act.

All three could face the death penalty if convicted of drug trafficking.