GEORGE TOWN: Police uncovered a syabu and ganja store after smashing a drug trafficking syndicate in Bukit Mertajam earlier this week, with the seizure of nearly RM1 million worth of drugs.
In the series of raids on Monday and yesterday, five local men and an Indonesian woman, aged between 22 and 55, were detained for their alleged involvement in the syndicate.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said in the first raid at a residence in Bukit Mertajam, police detained a 47-year-old mechanic and seized about 1,055gm of syabu worth RM37,980.
He said the man's arrest led police to the second and third raids respectively at two business premises, also in Bukit Mertajam.
"In the two raids, we detained two men, aged 22 and 23, and the foreign woman, aged 24. We are still trying to establish their relationship. We also seized a packet of syabu weighing 666.6gm worth RM23,997.50, 14 packets of syabu weighing 14,365gm worth RM517,140 and five packets of ganja weighing 4,864gm worth RM12,160.
"We subsequently launched the fourth raid, within the same vicinity and detained two men, aged 53 and 55. From them, we seized 621gm of syabu worth RM22,356 and 41gm of ganja worth RM102.50.
"From the interrogations, we were led to another business premises nearby where we uncovered the store for the drugs behind a store selling bundle clothing.
"It was in this premises we seized 146,250gm of ganja worth RM365,626," he told reporters at the state police contingent headquarters here this afternoon.
Mohd Shuhaily said investigations also revealed the syndicate had been active since the start of the year and the drugs seized could be used by some 385,848 addicts if it found its way into the market.
He said besides the drugs, police also seized three vehicles worth RM45,000, bringing the total seizure (including the drugs) to RM1.024 million.
"Three of them were tested positive for methamphetamine, morphine and THC while five of them have previous records for drugs and criminal-related offences.
"All of them have been detained for a week until May 1 to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952," he added.