Off the streets: Comm Kumar (right) with state deputy police chief Deputy Comm Afandi Senin (second from right) with a portion of the drugs seized during the raids.
JOHOR BARU: In one of the biggest drug hauls in Johor this year, police arrested seven members of a drug-trafficking syndicate, including a married couple, and seized drugs worth more than RM10mil.
State police chief Comm M. Kumar said the suspects, five local men and two foreign women aged between 22 and 33, were detained in three separate raids in Seri Alam and Johor Baru.
“Police launched a special operation last Monday between 12.30pm and 2pm where the first raid took place at an apartment, which led to the arrest of four men.
“Checks found that the syndicate was using the apartment, which is a homestay, for about a month, to process and repackage the drugs.
“The group paid about RM6,000 as rental fee to carry out their illegal activities,” he said in a press conference at the state police headquarters here yesterday.
Comm Kumar said the second raid was carried out at a double-storey house, leading to the arrest of the married couple.
Another apartment was also raided, which led to the arrest of the seventh suspect.
Three suspects have previous records and six of them also tested positive for drugs.
Police seized 59.6kg of ecstasy powder worth RM9.9mil, 93.3g of ketamine worth RM18,680, 263 ecstasy pills worth RM13,193, 380 Erimin 5 pills worth RM10,310 and 41g of ganja worth RM1,230.
“The total value of the seized drugs, which can feed 199,644 drug addicts, is more than RM10mil,” said Comm Kumar.
“Police also seized 500ml of liquid vape, 10 units of electronic cigarettes, tools to process the drugs, four cars, one motorcycle, jewellery worth more than RM10,000, and cash, including foreign currencies, amounting to RM43,000,” he said.
He added that the syndicate had been active for about a month where they would process the drugs by using gated and guarded residential areas.
All seven suspects were remanded until Thursday to assist with the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Police are also searching for the group’s mastermind, who is reportedly a 36-year-old local man and believed to be still in the country.
