Wednesday March 5, 2008
Drug lab busted, 260kg of drugs seized
By MEERA VIJAYAN
JOHOR BARU: Police have busted a mega drug lab in the city and crippled an international drug syndicate with the seizure of 260kg of drugs worth RM44mil in the biggest drug haul this year.
The drugs are believed to have been for the international market.
Thirteen men, including six Mexicans, four Singaporeans, one Canadian and two locals were arrested while over RM551,900 in cash was also recovered in two raids.
Federal narcotics crime investigations department director Comm Datuk Zul Hasnan Najib Baharuddin said the raids were conducted simultaneously in two places on Tuesday by a team of narcotics officers from Bukit Aman and the state police headquarters.
"The first raid was on a house in Taman Pelangi where five foreigners were arrested and 45.8kg of ketamin and other chemical materials were seized," he said.
The second was conducted on a factory in Senai, which had been functioning as an illegal mega drug-producing lab, with police confiscating 215kg of syabu or ice in both solid and liquid form.
Five foreigners including three Mexicans and two Singaporeans were also arrested in that raid. Another Mexican was arrested at a hotel while the two Malaysians were arrested along Jalan Utama of Kampung Melaju Majidee.
Comm Zul Hasnan said that around RM551,900 in cash including SG$156,000 (RM358,800) was recovered from one of the men; he declined to specify the man's nationality.
"Mexicans traditionally deal with cocaine, but there is a global trend now towards methamphetamine. We are still trying to locate the mastermind behind the syndicate," he said, adding that among those arrested was a chemist.
Police are also conducting background checks with the assistance of Interpol to ascertain whether the foreign suspects have prior criminal records in their home countries.
All 11 foreigners had valid travel documents and passports and are believed to have entered from the north.
Comm Zul Hasnan, who called the case a great success, said that police managed to smash the syndicate in the early stages, but declined to say how long the group had been monitored by the police.
Police have also seized four vehicles including a Honda MPV, a Honda City, a Mitsubishi Storm and a Proton Wira in the two raids.
The case is being investigated under Section 39 (b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act for drug trafficking, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
The 13 suspects, in their 20s to 50s, have been remanded for two weeks to assist in investigations.
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