Huge haul: Comm Mohd Kamarudin (second, left) showing some of the RM33.73mil worth of drugs seized after police crippled a drug distribution ring. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
KAJANG: A shipment of cocaine and syabu from Pakistan worth over RM33.73mil was seized just a day after it left Port Klang, says Bukit Aman.
Some syndicate members were caught red-handed unloading the drugs from the container at a warehouse at Taman Cheras Prima here.
Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said a series of raids was conducted following a tipoff on Oct 25.
“A team from Bukit Aman NCID together with the Customs Department arrested seven men including a Sri Lankan during those raids.
“During one of the raids at a warehouse at Cheras Prima here, police found a container filled with bags of onions.
“Further checks however revealed the bags were also filled with packets of drugs,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Comm Mohd Kamarudin said initial investigations revealed that the container had entered Malaysia from Pakistan through Port Klang on Oct 24.
“The container was taken out of the port on the same day and brought to the warehouse.
“Its contents were being unloaded the next day when police raided the warehouse,” he said, adding that police seized 411.17kg of syabu and 100.81kg of cocaine in the container.
“Upon further investigation, we found that the Sri Lankan man was involved in coordinating with the syndicate here on the movement of the drugs from Pakistan,” he said, adding that five of the suspects had prior criminal and drug records.
He said police also seized assets from the syndicate to the tune of RM384,964, including six vehicles and jewellery.
“The drugs seized are worth RM33.73mil and could be used by over 2.6 million users.
“We believe that the drugs were meant not only for domestic sale but also be smuggled out to other countries,” he said, adding that police were now looking for other members of the syndicate.
When asked, Comm Mohd Kamarudin said syabu was the most popular drug in Malaysia and was worth at least RM36,000 per kilogramme.
“Cocaine, however, is worth at least RM200,000 per kilogramme on the black market and is mostly used by the rich,” he said.
