Student among four held to facilitate probe into RM1.4 million drug bust

KOTA BHARU: A Form Four student was among four male suspects arrested by the police to assist investigations into the discovery of 25.5 kilogrammes (kg) of ketamine worth more than RM1.4 million in Kampung Laloh, Kuala Krai, last Friday.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said the seizure was made after receiving a report from Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers following a sighting of a Perodua Myvi car that hastily stopped 200 metres from the JPJ roadblock (SJR) on Kampung Laloh road.

"The driver and the passenger fled. On inspecting the abandoned car, police found 26 clear plastic packets of suspected drugs in two white bags and a black plastic wheeled suitcase," he told a press conference here today.

Muhamad Zaki said that following the incident, police conducted four raids on Friday and yesterday (Jan 7) and arrested four suspects, aged between 16 and 30, in Pasir Mas.

POLICE-DRUGS 2 (LAST) KOTA BHARU

"All of them have been remanded for seven days until Jan 13 to assist in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"We believe this case has links to an international drug trafficking syndicate as the drugs originated from Thailand and were meant for the Kuala Lumpur market," he said.

In a separate development, Muhamad Zaki said police also nabbed two lorry drivers at Kampung Batu 6, Batu Melintang, Jeli yesterday (Jan 7) for smuggling ketum leaves worth RM20,000.

"The modus operandi was to smuggle the ketum leaves using a cement tanker lorry to hide their activities. Further inspection, police found 2,000 kg of ketum leaves in the lorry, brought from northern states for the Kelantan market.

"The two suspects, both aged 28, also had criminal records related to drugs. Urine tests on them showed positive for Benzo drugs," he said.

Both suspects have been remanded for four days under Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

-- BERNAMA