GEORGE TOWN: Federal police uncovered an illegal heroin processing laboratory and seized drugs worth RM5.78 million in a series of raids here earlier this week.
Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said police also crippled a syndicate smuggling heroin base from Thailand to Malaysia.
He said two men, aged 42 and 46, both unemployed, had been detained to assist in the investigation.
He said police launched two raids from 4pm on Tuesday until the following day. In the first raid, police detained the first suspect who was driving along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.
In the subsequent raid, police detained the second suspect in the parking lot of a shopping centre in Alma, Bukit Mertajam.
Kamarudin said the arrest of the duo led police to a condominium in Tanjung Tokong, used by the syndicate as an illegal heroin processing laboratory.
"The 42-year-old suspect has expertise in cooking heroin.
"The syndicate's modus operandi is to smuggle the heroin base from Thailand using land route and process it for the local market here.
"We are still tracking down the remaining syndicate members,"
"The syndicate is believed to have been active since the beginning of the year," he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here today.
Kamarudin said among the drugs seized were 65.38kg of heroin base, 13.62kg of heroin and 8.48kg caffeine powder, all of which worth RM5.78 million.
"The drugs, if found their way in the market, can be used by some 4.47 million drug addicts," he added, adding that both the suspects were tested negative for drugs.
Both also had no previous record.
Kamarudin said, besides the drugs, police also seized a Toyota Estima worth RM70,000, believed to have been brought from proceeds from selling the drugs.
"Altogether, the total seizure, including the drugs, amounted to RM5.85 million," he said.
The case is probed under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952.