KUALA NERANG, Nov 27 ― Kedah police have crippled the biggest drug syndicate in the state following the arrest of seven men including five foreigners and seizure of various types of drugs worth more than RM18 million in raids near the Malaysia-Thailand border, near here.

Kedah police chief Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan said the first arrest was made at 8pm on Wednesday involving two Thai men, both aged 28, at Jalan Padang Sanai.

"Upon checking on the Proton Wira Aeroback car they were in, police found 108 kg of heroin, estimated to be worth RM18 million in the boot.

"On Thursday, at about 6am, a team assisted by personnel from the Bidor Camp of the General Operation Forces conducted a raid at the Situlang Forest Reserve, Padang Terap, where a local man and a Thai national were nabbed,” he told a press conference at the Padang Terap district police headquarters here today.

Further inspection on the Mitsubishi Pajero vehicle they were in found 7.75 kg of ganja worth RM20,000 in the rear seat.

Hasanuddin said another two suspects ― a local and a Thai national ― was detained in a raid on the same forest area at 10.30am.

In the raid he said, police inspected a Mitsubishi Triton vehicle the suspects were in and found a shotgun, a long machete as well as 9.3g of syabu and 5.18g of Yaba pill or "pil kuda” worth RM1,450.

The suspects were also tested positive for methamphetamine and were taken to the Padang Terap district police headquarters for further investigation.

Hasanuddin said the last suspect, a Thai national man, was also detained in the same forest area after he was caught behaving in a suspicious manner.

"Police also found several tents installed not far from the forest area where several suspects were detained, believed to be used as a transit point to smuggle and distribute drugs,” he said.

Hasanuddin did not rule out the possibility that all the suspects may have connection with the same syndicate adding that the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 8 of the Firearms Act 1960. ― Bernama