Major haul: Comm Mohd Kamarudin (third from left) and Perak police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri (second from left) showing the Eramin-5 pills seized in a raid at a bungalow in Chemor.
IPOH: Two major drug processing and distribution rackets were crippled this week when the Perak and Penang police smashed their operations following raids at residences-turned-drug laboratories.
In Ipoh, police raided a bungalow in nearby Chemor and seized about RM30mil worth of Eramin-5 pills, the biggest haul of drugs for the Perak contingent this year, and arrested two men on Tuesday.
Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said the team seized 413kg of the pills and about 25kg of the drugs in powdered form.
“The two men, aged 44, are believed to be involved in processing and distributing the drugs.
“With their arrest and the drugs seized, we believe we have taken down the syndicate,” he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.
Comm Mohd Kamarudin said the two are suspected to have learned how to process the drugs from social media.
“We also want to find out where they got the ingredients to produce the pills,” he said, adding that the police will try to track down other members of the syndicate.
The drugs seized are believed to be for distribution locally and outside of the state.
“The drugs could be used by 2.2 million users,” he said, adding that the syndicate is believed to have been active since March.
The police also seized equipment believed to be used to process and pack the drugs.
“We confiscated two fake rifles, a car, a motorcycle, two rings and RM1,624,” he added.
He said the two men tested positive for methamphetamine, with both having a prior record for various crimes.
The police have obtained a court order to remand them for six days, starting from Aug 16, to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act and Section 36 of the Arms Act.
“We hope the people will continue to channel any information related to drug activities to us at 012-208 7222,” he said.
In GEORGE TOWN, a syndicate is suspected to have smuggled in pure heroin from Thailand and cut it for retail distribution in a condominium-turned-drug lab in Penang.
Following weeks of surveillance, police busted the lab following the arrest of two men including a chemist.
The seizure of 65.38kg heroin base, 13.62kg heroin and 8.48kg caffeine powder worth RM5.78mil could feed the habit of 4.47 million addicts.
Comm Mohd Kamarudin said the lab with a Thai connection had been operating since early this year.
He said the two men, aged 42 and 46, were detained in separate raids on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
He added that the first man was arrested along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway while the second one was picked up at a parking lot of a supermarket in Bukit Mertajam.
“Their arrests then led police to the condominium-turned-drug lab in Tanjung Tokong.
“The younger suspect was the cook. He would process the drugs from the heroin base smuggled from Thailand via land.
“The end product was meant for local distribution,” he said at the state contingent police headquarters in Penang Road, also yesterday.
Comm Mohd Kamarudin said the suspects had since been remanded to facilitate investigations.
He said both suspects, who tested negative for drugs, have no past criminal records.
The police also seized an MPV worth RM70,000 in the operation.
