GEORGE TOWN: The police have busted a drug processing laboratory following the arrest of four men, and seized drugs worth RM178,500 on Friday.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said police also confiscated a car and a motorcycle worth RM8,700 in total.
"The operation was conducted by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department officers and personnel from state police contingent in George Town where the police have successfully crippled a drug syndicate trafficking heroin and syabu in multiple raids," he said in a statement on Sunday (July 14).
Comm Hamzah said in the first raid, between 9.05am and 9.30pm, a team of narcotic police arrested a 59-year-old man at a parking area in George Town.
He said the suspect was detained after he was believed to be involved in drug trafficking activities.
During the inspection, police also found a packet of drugs in a room, believed to be heroin weighing about 115g worth RM920.
The arrest led police to a house in the same area where police found several packages of various drugs weighing about 9.4kg worth RM177,492.
Further interrogation by the police led to the detainment of three suspects believed to be the syndicate at separate locations in Ayer Hitam.
"Police also found two transparent packets weighing 10.1g worth RM88 with the suspects aged between 60 to 62," he said.
He said police found that the syndicate has been active since March this year and the drugs confiscated can be used by 25,000 drug addicts.
Three of the suspects also tested positive for morphine.
Comm Hamzah said the three suspects with prior criminal records were remanded for seven days from July 13 to July 19.
The case is investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which is punishable by death.