GEORGE TOWN: Police have busted two drug syndicates at two ends of the peninsula, seizing six pistols, a HK 33 rifle, 331 bullets and drugs worth RM2.8mil – and are now on the hunt for a gun-running ring.
Seventeen people of four nationalities were arrested in the five-hour blitz in Penang and Johor which ended at about 3.15am on Friday.
The drugs seized were 9.2kg of heroin, 8.5kg of heroin base, 6.4kg of syabu, 120gm of Yaba pills, 105gm of ketamine, 17gm of ganja, 33,200 Erimin 5 pills and 4,000 Ecstasy pills, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff told a press conference at the Penang police headquarters here yesterday.
He said the police had now set up a special task force to investigate how the syndicate members obtained the firearms.
Comm Mohd Mokhtar said the 17 suspects who were nabbed during raids in Teluk Air Tawar, Air Itam, Paya Terubong and Batu Uban in Penang as well as Johor Baru, Nusajaya and Simpang Renggam in Johor were aged between 27 and 64.
Those arrested included three Singaporeans, a Thai and a Vietnamese woman. Police also seized seven cars and valuables worth RM600,000.
Comm Mohd Mokhtar attributed the success to the cooperation between the narcotics divisions in Penang and Johor, Bukit Aman’s Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group and Thailand’s Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau.
He said the drugs were meant for local distribution, adding that the police were also investigating whether the syndicates in Penang and Johor were linked.
“Four of the seven suspects arrested in Penang have criminal records.
“Five of them tested positive for methamphetamine,” he said.
Comm Mohd Mokhtar also said that between Jan 1 and July 29 this year, the police seized RM170mil worth of synthetic and traditional drugs, and arrested 109,516 people, including 4,127 foreigners, for drug distribution, possession and consumption.
He said the police also seized 21 pistols, 12 rifles and 776 bullets, confiscated RM43mil worth of property and uncovered 25 drug laboratories during the same period.
.jpg)
