Cleaning the streets: DCP Zulkafli (second from right) and his personnel showing the seized heroine. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: The police have smashed a drug-distributing syndicate after arresting three people and seizing about RM200,000 worth of drugs at a house on Jalan St John here.
Acting Perak police chief Deputy Comm Zulkafli Sariaat said those arrested included the syndicate’s mastermind, who had been running the syndicate’s operations since August this year.
“We had earlier arrested a 41-year-old man, who brought the police to the house where the drugs were kept on Nov 7 at about 6pm.
“We found and seized 18,992g worth of heroin, which were kept in 42 transparent plastic bags and 961g worth of compressed ganja leaves,” he said in a press conference at the state police headquarters here yesterday.
“Following the discovery, we then arrested the other two, including the 33-year-old mastermind and another 45-year-old man, at Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab and Taman Mas respectively, on Nov 8 between 1.30pm and 2pm.
“The first suspect tested positive for methamphetamine while the other two tested negative.
“The first and last suspect have also been involved in previous criminal cases,” he added.
He claimed that the mastermind paid the first suspect a salary of about RM2,500 to serve as both a storekeeper and a distributor.
“The third suspect was paid RM250 each time he distributed the drugs,” he said, adding that the house, which belonged to the mastermind, was also used as a repackaging centre.
“There may be more members; we are still investigating the case,” he added.
DCP Zulkafli said the drugs that were seized were meant to be distributed locally and in the state.
He said that roughly 26,000 people could use the drugs.
