GEORGE TOWN, Nov 17 — Police busted a drug trafficking syndicate, which uses cars to store the drugs, with the arrest of five men and a woman in three separate raids around Jelutong and Gelugor on Tuesday (November 14).

North-east District acting police chief Supt V. Saravanan said the raids were carried out by its Narcotics Crime Investigation Division team through Ops Tapis between 11.20am and 3.45pm and those arrested were aged between 21 and 42.

He said that in the first raid, on the Taman Sri Damai Jelutong apartment, police nabbed three men and a woman in a unit and found two packets of heroin, one packet of syabu and four Erimin 5 pills.

"As a result of interrogation, police then arrested two more syndicate members at a car park in the same location and seized two packets of heroin weighing 228 grammes in a Honda Civic car.

"Based on directions from the suspects, police then raided a car park at the side of Persiaran Bukit Gambir 1, Gelugor and found nine packets of heroin weighing 4.1 kilogrammes (kg) hidden in a Perodua Kancil car.

"Based on our investigations, we believe the suspects used the cars to store the drugs before they are distributed to buyers,” he told a media conference at the Northeast District Police Headquarters here today.

According to Saravanan, the drugs were meant for the local market and could be used by 22,402 addicts, adding that police are still trying to identify where the supply came from.

Police also confiscated a Mercedes Benz and three motorcycles, jewellery and RM6,050 cash, with the total seizure amounting to RM135,021.

Saravanan said five of the suspects tested positive for drugs and also have crime and drug-related records.

He said all the suspects have been remanded for a week until November 21 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama