GEORGE TOWN, Jan 23 — Penang police detained seven men and seized 840.729 kilogrammes of cannabis worth RM2.1 million in a series of raids in the state and Perak on Thursday.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the special operation by the Bukit Aman and Penang Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) was carried based on tip-offs, coupled with police intelligence network.

"Three men were nabbed at 6.45am after their car was stopped at the Bagan Ajam Toll Plaza, Butterworth near here. The arrest led to the seizure of 479.729 kg of cannabis worth RM1.1 million which was hidden in a car parked at the Bukit Jambul parking lot about 25 minutes later," he told a press conference here today.

He said the police also stopped a car at Changkat Jering Toll Plaza, Perak at 7.44am and arrested three other men.

Mohd Shuhaily said checks on a car parked at the Persiaran Mahsuri, Bayan Baru area near here, at 2 pm led to the seizure of 10 plastic sacks of cannabis weighing 361 kg.

In a subsequent raid at a house in Air Itam, here, another man was arrested.

"Preliminary investigations found that all cannabis of various grades, including the best quality, was believed to have been brought in from neighboring countries for the local market. The syndicate has been carrying out these activities since the beginning of last year," he said.

The seven suspects, a civil servant, an engineer, a computer technician, an online trader and unemployed, aged between 24 and 29, have been remanded for a week to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama