JOHOR BARU: Police have successfully dismantled a drug syndicate that used old cars as mobile storage units following the arrest of four men in Kulai and Skudai.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar (pic) said the arrests were made during an operation on Wednesday (Sept 25) from 4pm to 9pm. The suspects were caught with various drugs worth RM309,192.
"The syndicate's method was to get the drugs in bulk from Kuala Lumpur, repackage them into smaller quantities, and then distribute them in known drug hotspots.
“The suspects, aged 29 to 49, were tested for drugs. Two of them tested positive for methamphetamine. Background checks revealed that all four had prior criminal and drug-related offences. The police believe one of the suspects is the mastermind behind the operation,” he said.
He said this during a press conference at the Johor police headquarters here on Sunday (Sept 29).
Comm Kumar explained that the syndicate had been active since May this year.
Among the seized drugs were 55,904g (55 compressed bricks) of cannabis, 11,795g (26 packages) of heroin, 112.7g of syabu, 21g of Erimin-5 pills and 70g of ecstasy pills.
"The heroin came in two forms; one in cube shapes known as 'dadu' (dice), and another in crushed form, referred to as 'popcorn'.
“The group also mixed the drugs with food colouring to increase demand, as white-coloured drugs are less popular," said Comm Kumar.
He said that the syndicate also changed tactics by using expensive cars to store drugs, making it more challenging for authorities to track their movements.
“They also move in small groups; if they suspected the authorities were targeting their expensive vehicle, they would switch to using old cars to avoid suspicion,” he shared.
In addition to the drugs, police seized two vehicles, a motorcycle, a necklace worth RM13,940, and a sum of cash.
All suspects have been remanded for seven days, from Sept 26 to Oct 2, to assist with investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. If convicted, they could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, with the possibility of whipping.
