Penang police arrested five suspects and seized drugs valued at RM3.44 million across three operations in the state.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang police arrested five people, including a couple, and seized various types of drugs worth RM3.44 million in three separate operations between Sept 21 and 27.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said the raids by the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) resulted in the seizure of 8.83 kilogrammes (kg) of heroin, 15.06 kg of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) powder, five litres of liquid MDMA, 182 ecstasy pills and 70 grammes (g) of ketamine.
He said in the first operation at 3.30 pm on Sept 21, police arrested a 47-year-old local man by the roadside at Jalan Masjid Negeri, before questioning led them to a car parked nearby which was believed to have been used to store drugs and drug-processing equipment.
“An inspection found 8.83 kg of heroin, 5.35 kg of caffeine powder and heroin-processing equipment, with the total value of the seizure estimated at RM443,518.
“The suspect is believed to have obtained the drug supply from a syndicate before repackaging it for sale to buyers,” he said at a press conference at the Penang Police Contingent Headquarters here today.
The following day at about 8.50 pm, police conducted two raids around Jalan Tun Dr Awang and Sungai Nibong Kecil, arresting two local men and a foreign woman, all aged between 27 and 42.
Lim said police seized 3.26 kg of MDMA powder and five litres of liquid MDMA, estimated to be worth RM1.2 million, while investigations found that the couple worked at entertainment centres and obtained the MDMA supply from a drug distribution syndicate.
In the third operation at about 11.30 pm on Sept 27, police from the Machang Bubuk Police Station arrested a 45-year-old local man at Jalan Seladang, Bukit Mertajam, and seized 11.8 kg of MDMA powder, 182 ecstasy pills, heroin and 70 g of ketamine from his car, with the total seizure estimated at RM1.8 million.
According to Lim, intelligence found that the five suspects were believed to have been active in drug trafficking activities in Penang since July, while the three syndicates were not linked to one another.
He said preliminary urine screening found all five suspects were negative for drugs, while checks showed that one of them, namely the first suspect, had previous criminal and narcotics records.
“Following the three raids, police also seized six vehicles of various types worth RM58,000 under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988.
“All suspects have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations, with the cases investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.
