GEORGE TOWN: Police believe they have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate with the arrest of two men and seizure of 9.83 kilogrammes of ganja in Jalan Masjid Negeri here.
Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the suspects, a security guard and a restaurant operator aged 51, were believed to be on their way to distribute the ganja when they were nabbed at 7.45 pm on Friday.
“Police sprang into operation to nab the two following a month-long surveillance. We seized 10 slabs of compressed ganja weighing 9,828 grammes, worth RM24,570, from the car they were travelling in.
“They have obtained drugs from a syndicate for sale in the local market since last year. The seized ganja can feed the habit of 18,656 addicts,“ he told a press conference here today.
Following the arrests, police seized a RM30,000 car and RM35,140 in cash.
Mohd Shuhaily said the suspects, one of whom tested positive for drugs, have been remanded for six days for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
He also said 380 people including two policemen were arrested for drug-related offences between Jan 1 and 9 this year.
“Our focus this year is to combat drug trafficking activities in Penang in efforts to reduce the number of addicts as they are among the perpetrators of crimes,” he said.
He said the two policemen nabbed, a constable and a lance corporal, had tested positive for drugs. — Bernama