KOTA BARU: A 37-year-old man, believed to be the leader of a drug syndicate, was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) when he was about to depart for umrah last Thursday.
The man was detained at the airport at about 2pm following the seizure of 700,000 amphetamine pill (also known as yaba pill) at Jalan Lubuk Kiat-Kubang Kuau near Pasir Mas on the same day.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Khalil Kader Mohd said the man was detained based on the intelligence from the narcotics division through Ops Toucan since April.
“With the help of Kelantan police, we have arrested three men aged between 19 and 53 in Pasir Mas on Sept 5, where 700,000 yaba pills worth RM10.5 million were seized, believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country.
“Subsequently, the police then detained the man, believed to be the head of the syndicate two hours later at KLIA. The police also detained a 48-year-old woman at a house in Jalan Yaakubiah on the same day.
“This seizure was the biggest in Kelantan so far this year,” he told a press conference here today.
Also present were Kelantan police chief Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan, his deputy Senior Assistant Commissioner Abdullah Mohammad Piah and several senior officers.
Under Ops Toucan, Khalil said the police also seized cash, jewellery, several cars and sealed properties valued at RM476,000.
He said the police also carried out another special operation, code named Ops Damn Tokan which targeted petty or small drug peddlers.
During the two-day operations in Kelantan and Pahang that ended yesterday, he said the police arrested 88 people, including seven women.
“In the 54 raids carried out in the two states, the police also seized various drugs worth RM189,000 and sealed properties valued at RM372,000.
“A pistol and 88 bullets were also confiscated from one of the 88 people aged between 19 and 53. All of them have been remanded to facilitate investigations," he said.