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JOHOR police have crippled a local drug distribution syndicate following a series of raids last week that led to the seizure of 37.62 kilogrammes of narcotics worth RM5.33 million and the arrest of four Malaysian men.
State police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the operation, carried out by the Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) on 10 and 11 October, involved three coordinated raids around the city.
In the first raid at a condominium in Taman Delima, two men were arrested and large quantities of drugs were recovered, including 10 kg of MDMA powder, 2 kg of ecstasy pills, 735 grams of powdered ecstasy, 110 grams of syabu (methamphetamine), 60 grams of Erimin 5 tablets and various drug processing equipment.
A second arrest was made along a roadside in Taman Sri Tebrau, where a man was found in possession of 1.44 grams of syabu.
In the final raid at an apartment in Jalan Larkin, another suspect was detained along with a cache of drugs including 15.31 kg of MDMA powder, 3.46 kg of powdered ecstasy, 3.49 kg of ecstasy pills, 1.72 kg of ketamine, 430 grams of Erimin 5, 260 grams of cannabis and 38 grams of syabu.
Ab Rahaman said three vehicles – a Mazda CX-5, Toyota Vios and Perodua Bezza – along with various items of jewellery were also seized under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, bringing the total value of seizures and confiscations to RM5.45 million.
“The syndicate is believed to have been operating since March and had rented a gated and guarded apartment as a storage site before distributing the drugs to local markets, particularly nightclubs,” he said at a press conference at the Johor police headquarters.
The quantity of drugs recovered, he said, could have potentially affected more than 115,000 individuals.
All four suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, and two have prior records related to drug and criminal offences.
They are currently remanded until 17 October to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment with not less than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction. - October 15, 2025
