Police bust two syndicates, seize drugs worth RM1.28 mln

Police have smashed two drug trafficking syndicates with the arrest of five people including four Myanmar nationals and seizure of drugs worth RM1.28 million in Penang.

Penang police chief Datuk Sahabudin Abd Manan said in the first operation, police raided three locations in Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) on the mainland and Bayan Baru here between 6.45 pm on Friday and 8 am on Saturday.

"After a two-week surveillance, police arrested a Myanmar man who was driving along Jalan Perai, SPT and seized a quantity of drugs before storming a house in Bukit Mertajam, where they picked up two more Myanmar men with various prohibited substances.

"In a follow-up raid on a sundry shop in Bayan Baru, we detained a 45-year-old Myanmar woman suspected to be the syndicate head. Police seized from them 2,980 grams of heroin base, 8,493g of syabu and 14,000 wy pills, all worth RM810,831," he told a press conference here yesterday.

He said the Myanmar syndicate had been distributing drugs in Penang since early this year and all the suspects have valid passports and work permits.

He said the three Myanmar men, aged between 24 and 40 and working in an electrical wiring shop, used their rented house to store the drugs.

"All the packets of drugs carried special stamps to indicate their ownership and the woman suspect has links with international trafficking syndicates," he said.

Sahabudin said in the second operation between 7 pm on Friday and 4 am on Saturday, police arrested a 29-year-old man at a house in Bukit Tengah, SPT and seized 4,533g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-laced powder (MDMA), 20 ecstasy pills and 90 Eramin 4 pills, worth a total of RM465,500.

"The MDMA drug was for sale to entertainment outlets in the state. The unemployed man has been distributing drugs since early this year and has been living a life of luxury," he added.

He said all the seized drugs could be used by 129,500 addicts.

Following the arrest of the five suspects, police have sealed properties worth RM127,180, including two cars, jewellery and cash of RM87,180.

The suspects have been remanded for seven days for investigation.

-- BERNAMA