Johor police arrest five men including Singaporean, seize RM9m drugs in five-day crackdown
JOHOR BARU, April 29 — The Johor police crippled five drug packaging and distribution syndicates, with a seizure worth RM9 million throughout the state during a recent five-day operation.
Police also arrested five men, including a Singaporean, in seven raids that involved four districts from April 20 to 24.
The raids, carried out by the Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), included vehicle inspections and also checks on rented residences within the Johor Baru South, Batu Pahat, Kota Tinggi and Kluang districts.
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the first and second raids were carried out between 1.30pm and 7.30pm on April 20 at Jalan Abdullah Tahir here, where a 22-year-old male suspect was arrested.
'Police conducted checks on a parked car before a follow-up raid on an apartment unit that was rented by the suspect where investigators found 9,351.06 grammes (g) of ecstasy powder and 62.00g of ketamine.
'The total seizure in this operation, which also involved the suspect's vehicle and cash, was RM1,724,927. The suspect did not have any previous criminal records, but a drug test found him positive for methamphetamine abuse,' he told reporters at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
Kumar, who was accompanied by several senior police officers, said the third raid was carried out between 7pm and 11.30pm on the next day (April 21) at a jetty in Batu Pahat.
He said a 36-year-old male suspect was arrested along with the seizure of a four-wheel drive vehicle and 20,712g of syabu.
'The illicit drugs were believed to be destined to neighbouring countries via the jetty, with the total value of the seizure being RM662,784,' he said.
Following that, Kumar said police conducted the fourth operation starting at 9pm on April 23 to 7am the next day in the Kota Tinggi district that led to the arrest of a 36-year-old local male suspect.
He said the 36-year-old suspect was arrested with the seizure of 20,044g of ecstasy powder and 13.99g (50) Eramin 5 psychotropic pills.
'The total drug seizure in the raid was valued at RM3,348,348. The suspect's modus operandi was to use a rental car as a drug storage to avoid detection by the authorities,' he said, adding that the suspect had past criminal records and tested positive for methamphetamine abuse.
For the fifth and sixth raids, Kumar said police arrested a 33-year-old man at 1pm on April 23 after checks on a Proton Wira car and a terrace house owned by the suspect's wife in Taman Mengkibol.
'In the raid, investigators seized 9,909.70g of ecstasy powder, 187.30g of ketamine and 78.30g of Eramin 5 pills valued at RM1,897,505.40.
'The suspect used the same operating method, which was to use the car as a drug storage,' he said.
Kumar said on the same night, police carried out a seventh raid at an apartment unit in Danga Bay here that ended at 3am on April 24.
He said police arrested a 47-year-old Singaporean man who was also in possession of travel documents that belonged to another person.
'Police seized 10,024g of ecstasy powder, 31.30g of ketamine, 44.00g of marijuana,
9.00g of heroin, 6.00g of ecstasy pills and 1.20g of yaba pills with a total value amounting to RM1,687,878.
'The suspect, who is unemployed, is believed to be among one of the syndicate's operators and we believe there are still other members on the run.
He said checks revealed that the particular drug syndicate has been active since January this year.
'The suspect also has a previous drug case in Singapore,' he said.
The suspects in the five cases have been remanded until April 30 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
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