JOHOR BARU, Sept 26 — Police have crippled an illicit drug trafficking syndicate following the arrest of five suspects, including a married couple, in four separate raids around this district and in Iskandar Puteri.
Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the arrests were carried out last Friday during a joint operation between the state police contingent’s Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) and Bukit Aman.
“A group of police operatives conducted four separate raids starting at 9pm on that day and managed to arrest four men and one woman.
“The suspects were aged between 22 and 32 and included the married couple who was with their eight-month-old baby at the time.
“From the raids, investigators also confiscated 21.16kg of marijuana and 784g of crystal methamphetamine (syabu) with a street value of RM67,027,” said Kamarul Zaman during a press conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
The state’s top cop said police also confiscated cash amounting RM30,650, jewellery worth RM44,413, and three motorcycles and two cars worth RM113,000.
“The amount of seized drugs is estimated to be able to supply the needs of more than 21,000 addicts,” he said.
Kamarul Zaman said that investigations showed that the syndicate is believed to have been active since last March.
He said the syndicate’s modus operandi was to turn their rented premises in gated residential communities into drug storage locations.
Kamarul Zaman added that the syndicate’s drugs were obtained from neighbouring countries.
“This group is believed to act as suppliers, where the members store the drugs before distributing them to smaller groups in the local market,” he said.
The suspects are in police custody and have been remanded for six days, starting last Saturday, for investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
