GEORGE TOWN: Police crippled two drug trafficking syndicates following the seizure of various drugs worth RM274,482 and the arrest of nine suspects including six foreign nationals.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the suspects were detained in a series of raids at the island and mainland of Penang on May 2 and 5.
He said in the first operation, a police team from state police headquarters' Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) arrested a local man and a foreign woman, aged 32 and 34 respectively, believed to be involved in the trafficking activities at George Town.
"The arrest has led police to a discovery of various types of drugs including 29 transparent plastic packets containing MDMA drugs (about 613.3g), ketamine (10.8g), syabu (1.59g), 30 ecstasy pills (15.62g), and 100 Erimin 5 pills (28.3g)," he said during a press conference at state police headquarters here on Monday (May 8).
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the drugs that were seized during the first operation were worth about RM9,198.
He said following the discovery, police raided another location in Ayer Itam, where they detained two foreign nationals - a man and a woman aged 40 and 42 respectively, while recovering various drugs worth RM104,296.
Among the drugs were ketamine (48.12g), syabu (421.89g), 490 ecstasy pills (200g), and 240 Erimin 5 pills (67.65g), while non-drug items seized included two cars and jewellery worth about RM80,124.
He said members of the syndicate, which was led by one of the foreign nationals, were remanded for six days since May 3, and were charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act at George Town Court on Monday (May 8).
In another operation, Comm Mohd Shuhaily said five syndicate members including three foreign nationals were detained in two series of raids at Central Seberang Prai for alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
He said the suspects, aged between 22 and 46, were arrested during an operation that was conducted by a NCID team from the state police headquarters on May 5. .
"In the first raid, police nabbed three foreign nationals and confiscated 45 transparent plastic packets containing ganja weighing about 47kg, worth about RM146,000," he said.
Following the information from the first arrest, police conducted another three raids and arrested two local suspects and seized three transparent packets containing lumps and powder form of drugs believed to be heroin weighing about 1.36kg, worth about RM11,288, and another three packets containing drugs believed to be heroin weighing about 452g worth about RM3,700.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said investigation found that the syndicate had been active since January last year and the drugs were meant for local distribution.
He said two of the suspects were found positive with drugs, and all the suspects have prior records in drugs and other criminal offenses.
He said the five suspects were remanded for seven days starting May 7 to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
During the raids, police also seized two motorcycles, jewellery, and cash worth about RM16,200 in total.
