Johor police have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate masterminded by a local man known as ‘Bobby’ and seized various types of drugs worth almost half a million ringgit following a series of raids conducted around the city and Iskandar Puteri, since July 27.

Johor police chief, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said, 10 separate raids over five days were carried out by the Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and the Seri Alam Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division.

“The police managed to arrest Bobby, 27, and his Vietnamese girlfriend, 24, at an entertainment centre at Jalan Permas 10, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, here at 1.40 pm on July 28.

“Also arrested were 22 individuals, aged between 16 and 61 years, who are believed to be involved in the syndicate. They comprise 10 local men, five local women, one Singaporean man, three Indonesian women, two female Chinese nationals and a Vietnamese woman,” he told a press conference here today.

Ayob Khan said, police also seized 1,896 kilogrammes (kg) of ketamine, marijuana (895.52gm), ecstasy powder (2,301kg), syabu (31.81gm), heroin (2.01gm), 2,469 ecstasy pills, 859 Erimin 5 pills and two Yaba pills, with a total value of RM425,571.

Police also confiscated jewellery worth RM32,956, two vehicles worth RM214,000, cash RM7,000 and cash in various currencies, namely US$500 (RM2,100), 6,000 Yuan (RM3,625) and S$420 (RM1,287) in addition to five accounts in local banks amounting to RM30,234 believed to be from drug trafficking activities, he said.

“Bobby's syndicate is believed to have been active over the last three months by getting the drug supplies from Kuala Lumpur to be marketed here,” he said.

All the suspects have been currently remanded for 14 days from July 27 for further investigations. - BERNAMA