Woman, nephew nabbed over alleged involvement in drug smuggling syndicate

JOHOR BAHRU: A woman and her nephew were among six suspects arrested by police for their alleged involvement in a drug smuggling syndicate to a neighbouring country.

Drugs worth about RM1 million was also seized, following three separate raids around Muar on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the two locals, aged 20 and 31, were arrested in a car at 4 pm in a special operation by Narcotics CID teams from Johor contingent police headquarters and Muar.

He said their arrests were made after two local men aged 24 and 32 were nabbed in a fibre boat carrying 1.07 kg of syabu by Region Two Marine Police Force (PPM) team, in the Parit Sakai waters near Muar on Oct 13.

According to Ayob Khan, the drug is believed to have been obtained from Kuala Lumpur to be smuggled to Bengkalis, Indonesia.

"As a result of the interrogation of the two suspects, we managed to seize 14.6 kg of syabu and 9,905 ecstasy pills in a coconut plantation in the district.

The husband of the woman is serving a prison sentence for drug smuggling and they have relatives in Bengkalis," he said in a press conference, here, yesterday.

Ayob Khan said the total value of drugs including the two fibre boats, a Perodua Viva and a Yamaha Solaris motorcycle seized was RM924,190.

In a separation operation, he said his team also arrested a local man and an Indonesian man aged 34 and 39 around Muar, at 2.30 pm, last Wednesday for allegedly smuggling drugs to Bengkalis.

He said although the two suspects were from a different syndicate, they were using the same modus operandi in obtaining drugs from Kuala Lumpur to be smuggled to Bengkalis.

Also seized in the raid was 3.10 kg of syabu worth RM124,000.

"We are still investigating if the Indonesian male was also involved in this syndicate," he said.

Ayob Khan said all six suspects were now remanded for seven days starting Oct 14 to be investigated according to Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

-- BERNAMA