Drug distribution syndicates: Two police officers among 14 detained

Two police officers suspected of conspiring with drug syndicates are among 14 people arrested in Ops Nutcracker, which simultaneously paralysed two active drug distribution syndicates in Sarawak.

In operations in four states, namely, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Sarawak since Wednesday, police seized 182 kilogrammes of drugs worth RM10 million and ransacked a drug lab in Batang Kali, Hulu Selangor near here.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Ramli Din said all the suspects comprised 12 men and two local women between the ages of 26 and 58 years.

“The amount of drugs seized can be supplied to 580,000 addicts and police believe they are among the largest drug trafficking syndicates in Sarawak.

"An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and a Sub Inspector (SI) stationed in Sarawak are believed to be in cahoots with the syndicates," he said at a special press conference in Bukit Aman here today.

Commenting further, he said that, during the operation, police seized 424,500 eramine 5 pills (107 kg), syabu (63 kg) and ketamine (12 kg) and seized various types of assets from the proceeds in the sale of drugs by the syndicates worth RM1.07 million.

"Also confiscated were chemicals and various types of machines weighing about one tonne used to produce eramine 5," he said.

Commenting on the discovery of the machines, Ramli revealed that the machines found at the drug lab were capable of producing 70,000 eramine pills worth RM1 million at a time.

"The laboratory was built (by one of the syndicates) in an abandoned orchard and the syndicate produced drugs with a frequency of three to five times a week," he said.

Ramli said preliminary investigations by the police found that the syndicates usually rented luxury hotels around the capital to pack drugs by putting them in food boxes.

“The food boxes packed with drugs will be transported by drug mules who were recruited by the syndicates to travel through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) to Sarawak.

"The syndicates were found to have delivered drugs 28 times since 2017. Each shipment will use one or two mules," he said, adding that police believed the syndicates were also active in Brunei and Indonesia.

Ramli said all the suspects were now remanded for six and seven days from the date of detention and were being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"The police will not compromise and will take decisive action against any officer who is a thorn in the flesh by partnering with a drug trafficking syndicate," he said.

-- BERNAMA