Police bust international drug ring, seize RM50mil worth of drugs

Police busted one of the biggest international drug syndicate with the arrest of 17 of its members and seized 370kg of drugs with street value worth RM51 million.

Federal Police Narcotic Criminal Investigation Department director, Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the syndicate was busted during a two-day operation held from May 12.

He said 11 raids were mounted in Kepong, Cheras, Petaling Jaya and Perai in Penang during the two-day operation held with the cooperation from the Hong Kong government and its police force.

"Those detained, aged between 24 and 57, comprised 15 locals including a woman and two Bangladesh nationals.

"Of the total seizure, 220kg were believed to be Syabu, ecstasy pills and powder (132kg), ketamin (18kg) and two vacuum packer machines.

"Police also confiscated 18 vehicles worth RM2.1 million, RM129,000 in cash, as well as jewellery and branded watches worth RM40,000," he told a press conference here, Friday.

Mohd Mokhtar said the drug was smuggled in from China to cater for the local market.

He said four of the 17 detainees had previous criminal records.

In another development, he said the police had seized assorted drugs worth RM61 million from January to May 11, comprising syabu (270 kg), ketamin (8.4 kg), ecstasy (13,803 pills), yaba (111,696 pills) and Eramin 5 (1,446,927 pills).

During the same period police had also detained 10,267 individuals, opened 40,284 investigation papers and brought 25,031 cases to court, he said.