KUALA LUMPUR: Police scored a major drug bust with the arrest of three local men suspected of being involved in drug trafficking in four raids carried out by the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) in Cheras here and Klang, last Thursday.

Bukit Aman JSJN director Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Zin said the three suspects aged between 32 and 61 were arrested between 1.40 am and 12.30 pm.

He said all the suspects arrested were believed to have acted as coordinators, suppliers and shopkeepers with their modus operandi making the premises a place to store drugs before distributing them to the local market.

"In the raids, 56 kilogrammes (kg) of methamphetamine, 20 kg of ketamine and 154.3 kg of ecstasy, estimated to be worth RM14.4 million in total, were seized, with the amount of the seizures able to be used by 861,335 addicts.

"For the Sabah and Sarawak markets, the drugs are wrapped in packages such as laundry detergent before being sent using courier service to obscure the eyes of the authorities," he said at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters here today.

In addition to the drug seizures, Mohd Kamarudin said police also seized four luxury vehicles including a BMW, Lexus and Vios as well as jewellery and cash estimated to be worth almost RM400,000.

"All the suspects have been remanded for seven days from July 14 to 20 to assist the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"Preliminary police screening of the suspects found that all three were negative for drugs and a criminal record check found that one of them has a past record related to criminal and drug cases," he said.

Mohd Kamarudin said police will continue the investigation to trace the remaining members of the syndicate to be brought to justice.

"JSJN hopes that the public will continue to channel information related to drug trafficking activities happening around them by contacting the JSJN Hotline at 012-2087222," he said.

-- BERNAMA