Police bust drug syndicates operating in south Johor with RM1.107m worth of seizures

JOHOR BARU, Aug 10 — Several major drug-trafficking syndicates, specialising in synthetics, were busted after police conducted three simultaneous raids in Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri and Pontian recently.

Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said during the raids, police nabbed three suspects, aged 32 to 49, including a woman and a foreign man.

“Police seized syabu (crystal methamphetamine) type drugs weighing 11.13kg, ketamine weighing 4.23kg and 440 Erimin 5 pills.

“The raiding team also confiscated six vehicles, worth a total of RM346,000, RM109,840 in cash and various types of jewellery amounting to RM7,758.

“The total value of the drugs and seizures for this special operation amounted to RM1.107 million,” said Kamarul Zaman in a media conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.

Kamarul Zaman said that the syndicates, which had been operating in the state since March, rent luxury apartments as their modus operandi in an effort to cover their tracks.

“The syndicates rented luxury condominiums or apartments with a guarded and gated premises and also turned it into a drug-processing premises.

“Investigators found that the chemicals were used on the drugs for ‘cleaning’. Based on our experience, we believe that the syndicate members were processing the old syabu-type drugs into another form,” he said.

Kamarul Zaman said the drugs were mainly for the local market but did not rule out the possibility that a portion would be sent abroad.

He said the seizure amount was enough for 77,280 drug addicts.

“The suspects are now being remanded for seven days starting today for further investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“The foreign suspect will be investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 25(1)(n) of the National Registration Regulations for possessing suspected fake passports and identity cards.

“Based on our records, we also found that the foreign suspect had been arrested twice under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 back in 2020,” said Kamarul Zaman.

He added that the preliminary urine tests found two suspects positive for methamphetamine abuse and further checks found that they have past records related to drugs and criminal activities.