Cops seize RM25mil in drugs bound for Aussie market
Bukit Aman NCID acting director Mat Zani @ Salahuddin Che Ali (fourth from left) and his senior officers with the seized methamphetamines and heroin base. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Police have busted the largest international drug trafficking syndicate on the east coast this year, seizing about 590kg of methamphetamine and heroin base worth RM25 million in two raids around Setiu, Terengganu.
Bukit Aman narcotics criminal investigation department (NCID) acting director Mat Zani @ Salahuddin Che Ali said the drugs were brought in via the Golden Triangle from Vietnam, and entered Terengganu through Kelantan and Terengganu waters.
They were repackaged in Setiu before being prepared for shipment to the Australian market.
Mat Zani said the first raid took place on the bank of Sungai Setiu at 9pm on April 23, leading to the arrest of a 32-year-old man from Selangor who was unloading 29 bags from a boat.
'An inspection of the bags revealed 470 plastic packages, suspected to contain 479.27kg of methamphetamine and 297 blocks of heroin base, weighing 109.89kg.
'The second raid, about 500m from the first location on the shore of Pulau Tok Bilal at 10pm, led to the arrest of a 39-year-old Terengganu man in a fibreglass boat with a backpack containing 1.02kg of methamphetamine,' Bernama quoted him as saying today.
He said the syndicate, which has been active since March, smuggled the drugs on rented boats under the guise of fishing trip packages.
'The drugs would then be transferred to a yacht in the waters off Terengganu, before being sent to Australia. The seized drugs could have been used by 2.95 million addicts,' he said.
Mat Zani said the police investigation found both suspects, who were paid RM50,000 each, are from the same syndicate and have criminal records for drug-related offences.
Police also seized three vehicles belonging to the suspects as well as jewellery and RM1,631 in cash.
The suspects have been remanded until May 7 to assist in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking.
He said the drug bust was the result of collaboration between the Terengganu and Kelantan NCIDs, as well as marine police, following a month-long surveillance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
Jobless jailed, fined for hurting son
Published on: Saturday, June 07, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 07, 2025 By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: The offence is framed under Section 324/326A of the Penal Code. Kota Kinabalu: A 43-year-old jobless was jailed six years and fined RM2,000 in default three months for causing hurt to his son with a wooden stick. Shahmar Asecio pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Marlina Ibrahim, to the charge against him. Advertisement He hurt to his 16-year-old son by hitting him with the wood at 11.30am on June 2, this year at a house in Kg Baitam Laut, Membakut. The offence is framed under Section 324/326A of the Penal Code. The court ordered Shahmar to serve the jail sentence concurrently with the sentence for another offence. In mitigation, Shahmar who was not represented asked for a lenient sentence. Advertisement However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Afiqah Alya urged the court to impose a heavy sentence to deter and give a lesson not only to Shahmar but public at large from committing such offence. The court heard that while the son was in the kitchen Shahmar came from behind and hit him with wood on his shoulder, head and right leg. The victim's mother then tried to stop Shahmar who suddenly took a machete and threatened the victim with the weapon. The son who was in fear then lodged a police report which led to Shahmar's arrest on the same day. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Processing, sale of ketum juice: 4 arrested in Kota Belud
Published on: Saturday, June 07, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 07, 2025 By: R Gonzales Text Size: Some of the suspects arrested. KOTA BELUD: Four men aged between 20 and 50 were arrested in separate raids across several villages in the district for suspected involvement in the processing and sale of ketum juice. Kota Belud District Police Chief Supt Shahrudin Mat Husain said a team from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division of Kota Belud District Police Headquarters (IPD) conducted the raids from May 24 to June 5. Advertisement He said the arrests were made following intelligence gathering in Kampung Taun Gusi, Tampasuk 1, Kampung Suang Punggur, Kampung Pintasan and Kampung Ambong. 'The first arrest involved a man at a house in Kampung Pintasan at 11.30am, along with the seizure of eight bottles containing 1.5 litres of ketum juice. 'In the second raid at 3.25pm at a house in Kampung Taun Gusi, a man was arrested along with 24 bottles, each containing 1.5 litres of ketum juice,' he said. On June 5, a raid was conducted at a house in Kampung Ambong where another two men were arrested along with 10 bottles containing 1.5 litres of ketum juice. Advertisement 'Several items believed used to prepare the ketum juice were also seized. 'Further investigations revealed that the ketum juice was sold to customers at RM25 to RM30 per bottle,' he said. Shahrudin said the suspects are being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, and if found guilty, they could be fined up to RM100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both, on conviction. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Selangor cops take down ‘Alstonia Gang'
Massive haul: Comm Hussein (centre) and his officers showing drugs and other confiscated items during a press conference on the 'Alstonia Gang' bust at the Selangor police headquarters. — Bernama SHAH ALAM: Police busted a drug trafficking syndicate known as the Alstonia Gang after arresting nine suspects and seizing various types of drugs worth RM5.11mil in five separate raids around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor this week. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said among those arrested were the gang leader, a local man working as an e-hailing driver and his foreign lover, who are believed to have been actively carrying out drug trafficking activities for the past eight months. In the first raid on a house in Bukit Jalil at about 5.50pm on Tuesday, police nabbed a man and a foreign woman, and seized 4,656g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or ecstasy powder and three litres of juice suspected of containing drugs. 'The second raid was conducted on a house in Semenyih and led to the arrest of a man and the seizure of powdery substances believed to be MDMA weighing 230g, followed by a third raid at 6.10pm in Puchong where a male suspect was held and 966.10g of MDMA seized. 'At 10.30pm, we conducted raid number four on a house in Kajang. 'We arrested a man and seized 110 vape cartridges suspected of containing 2,880g of drugs,' Comm Hussein told Bernama at a media conference here yesterday. He added that the suspect then led police to a house in Kajang, where they seized MDMA powder weighing 21,452g, ketamine (4,722g), MDMA pills (641g) and Erimin-5 pills (1,960g). Following interrogation, police then arrested three men and a woman believed to be involved with the syndicate around Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. 'In addition to the syndicate leader and his lover, who has lived in the country for the past 10 years, seven other suspects, all aged between 24 and 38, worked as food traders, personal shoppers and barbers. 'Six of them tested positive for drugs and three tested negative, while three had previous records related to crime and drugs.' Comm Hussein said the syndicate targeted entertainment centres around the Klang Valley to sell to individuals. He added that police also seized five vehicles along with jewellery, watches, luxury handbags and cash, with the total seizure amounting to RM341,449.16. 'This success is a result of the intelligence we carried out for two months. All suspects have been remanded for seven days, with the case being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.'
