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JOHOR BAHRU: Johor police seized 201 million ringgit ($ 49.8 million) worth of drugs this week, making it the largest loot in the history of Malaysia’s anti-narcotics department, authorities said Sunday ( January 17).
Officers carried out three raids on Thursday and Friday following investigations of 14 suspects from a drug smuggling and distribution syndicate who were caught in Johor Bahru on Tuesday, Johor Police Chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said.
In the initial operation on Tuesday, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) discovered two drug processing laboratories and two stores containing drugs worth RM125.8 million, Ayob Khan said.
“The questioning of the suspects led the police to raid the other three places that were used to store drugs, namely a factory in Taman Mount Austin and two rented houses in Taman Setia Indah,” he added.
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In these raids, the police found 3.2 tons of ecstasy powder, 26.1 kg of liquid ecstasy, and 117 kg of Erimin-5 powder.
Police estimated that these “could have been used by 11 million drug addicts,” Ayob Khan said.
Four luxury vehicles, RM5 million in cash, foreign currency worth RM231,961, 30 types of jewelry valued at RM124,435, three Rolex watches worth RM250,000 and 62 bank accounts totaling were also seized from the suspects. of 1.23 million ringgit. in raids.
Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim inspects items confiscated from a drug syndicate. (Photo: Facebook / His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Johor)
Two local men ages 34 and 38 were also arrested Thursday in Taman Mount Austin and Ulu Tiram in Taman Gaya on Saturday on suspicion of being involved with the union. One of the suspects was a mechanic who was in charge of modifying vehicle compartments to hide drugs.
“This union has been in operation since 2018 and rents factory premises and houses to store and process medicines.
“The two suspects are in pretrial detention for seven days from the date of their arrest and are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1952,” said the police chief.
Overall, the total drug seizures by the Johor police since Tuesday amounted to 341.79 million ringgit, Ayob Khan said, adding that the police will go after the rest of the union.
