GEORGE TOWN, Feb 14 — Police detained two drug peddlers and seized 20 slabs of ganja weighing 20 kilogrammes (kg) worth RM62,000 after stopping and inspecting a car in Teluk Kumbar on February 9.

Penang deputy police chief Datuk Mohamed Usof Jan Mohamad said the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department had launched an operation to detain the two drug peddlers, aged 23 and 34, following surveillance carried out for a week.

"Police stopped a Honda City car at 8.30pm with two men inside and carried out a thorough check before finding 20 slabs of ganja in the boot of the car. The two men are believed to have sourced the 20 slabs of ganja worth RM62,000 from a drug trafficking syndicate,” he told reporters during a press conference here today.

Mohamed Usuf said the two unemployed suspects who were positive for drugs are believed to have been involved in drug smuggling activities since December last year.

He added that both the suspects would be remanded for seven days and investigations carried out under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Mohamed Usuf said last year Penang police had seized 2,159.62kg of drugs worth RM30.78 million, including carrying out 27 big scale raids on syndicates.

"There were 14,001 people arrested for narcotics offences including 25 civil servants. — Bernama