KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Police believe they have dismantled a drug syndicate making high-quality methamphetamine for sale in upscale nightclubs in Klang Valley, following the seizure of RM1.2 million in drugs and five arrests last Thursday.
According to the police, the syndicate dubbed the Ah Tee Jinjang gang built 10-sq m underground drug processing lab in house in Taman Bukit Idaman, Batu Caves.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said police learned that the syndicate would supply a middleman, who would market then target affluent users at high-end entertainment outlets.
From the raid, police seized 17.8kg of what Mazlan called high-grade methamphetamine, otherwise known as syabu, with a street value of about RM70,000/kg or around RM1.26 million overall.
Police also arrested five gang members aged 30 to 54.
The operation began with the capture of the gang leader, a 40-year-old man, from a hotel along Jalan Pudu on the evening of March 29.
“Led by the leader, we raided the terrace house in Batu Caves that same night, where we busted their underground mini-lab which could fit accommodate up to 20 people,” he said.
Police then arrested the other four who are thought to be the “cooks” responsible for processing the drugs.
“Investigations revealed the syndicate had just completed distributing a batch of drugs, with the remainder that we seized already worth more than RM1 million.
All suspects were remanded until April 5, and are being investigated under 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 that carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Mazlan said they believe the syndicate had been in operation for at least four-months, and are on the hunt for more accomplices who were part of syndicate’s wide network of members.
