JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 20 — A drug trafficking syndicate, believed to be using houses in secure gated residences as a storage repository, was crippled after police raided and seized drugs worth RM7.93 million in three raids in Seri Alam near here recently.
The Seri Alam district police’s Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) carried out the raid that led to the arrest of eight local men and one foreign woman, aged between 35 and 65, on August 12.
Johor deputy police chief Hoo Chuan Huat said the first raid was at a house in Masai where police arrested three men, before seizing 39.809 kilogrammes (kg) of ecstasy powder suspected to be MDMA, 4.91kg of ketamine and 13,400 Erimin 5 psychedelic pills weighing 3.85kg.
He said police also seized 216 grammes (g) of syabu (crystal methamphetamine), 22.72kg of powder suspected to be ecstasy and two machines believed to be used to process pills as well as drug repackaging equipment.
“The second raid was at a raft house in Masai that led to the arrest of four local men and seizure of 572g of powder suspected to be ecstasy.
“The third raid was at a house in Ulu Tiram where a local man and a foreign woman were arrested. Police seized 230 cartridges of liquid suspected of syabu totaling 0.575 litres, 1.149kg of powder believed to be ecstasy and 358 grams of syabu.
“Investigators alao found 9,625 Erimin 5 pills weighing 1.925kg and 18.4 litres of liquid suspected of ketamine stored in 24 plastic bottles,” he said at a media conference held at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
Hoo said the overall seizures involved 40.381kg of MDMA powder, 23.869kg of ecstasy powder, 23,025 Erimin 5 pills weighing 5.775kg, 574g of syabu, 4.91kg of ketamine, 18.4 litres of ketamine liquid and 0.575 litres of syabu liquid.
“The amount of illicit drugs is estimated to be capable of reaching up to 323,841 users in the market.
“Police also seized five cars, two speedboats and RM11,320 in cash with the total value of the seizures at RM8.14 million,” he said.
Hoo said the syndicate is believed to be active since January this year and used “gated and guarded” residences to avoid detection by authorities.
He said initial investigations revealed that each suspect had their roles, including as a runner, processing drugs, assistant, storekeeper, boat mechanic and raft house keeper.
“Investigators believed that one of the suspects also acts as the syndicate’s mastermind,” he said, adding that all nine suspects have been remanded until August 25.
All the nine suspects who are in police custody also tested positive for drug abuse. Six suspects have past drug-related records.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
