Cops seize 365kg of meth worth RM13.14 million, suspected trafficker held
A 40-year-old man, believed to be a trafficker, was arrested in the early morning raid.
Perlis police chief Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim said the operation followed a tip-off, leading officers to a house in Kampung Belat Batu, Beseri, at 3.30am yesterday.
"Police detained a man driving a Proton Waja in the area. Interrogation led to the discovery of a Toyota Vios parked nearby, suspected to be linked to drug activities," he told a press conference at the state police headquarters here today.
A search of the vehicle found 17 tightly sewn sacks containing crystal meth, also known as syabu, with a street value of over RM13 million.
A preliminary investigation found the suspect had previously been involved in human trafficking activities, using illegal jungle routes in Padang Besar to smuggle undocumented migrants across the border.
"For this case, we believe the same routes were used to bring in the meth supply from a neighbouring country," he said.
The seized drugs were believed to have been stored temporarily in houses or vehicles in Perlis before being transported to destinations in the south, including the Klang Valley.
Halim said the suspect, who works as a heavy machinery driver, had five prior criminal records involving snatch theft, drug offences and human trafficking.
A drug test also returned positive for methamphetamine.
"The seized meth could supply up to 3.6 million drug users," he added.
Police are now tracking down another man believed to be the suspect's accomplice, who fled the scene during the operation.
The suspect has been remanded until June 7 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment upon conviction.
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