KANGAR: Police have crippled the biggest drug trafficking syndicate in Perlis with the seizure of 528kg of methamphetamine worth RM19 million in Padang Besar following the arrest of four men last week.
Bukit Aman Narcotic Investigations Department director Datuk Seri Kamarudin Md Din said they made a breakthrough into the syndicate after arresting a 35-year-old man at a house in Padang Besar last Wednesday.
"Following interrogation, he took us to a drug storage site in the Malaysian Forestry Research Institute (Frim) Forest Reserve in Padang Besar.
"Upon inspection we found 20 sacks containing 480 Chinese tea bags hidden in a huge trolley, where the 528kg of methamphetamine were kept.
"In the follow up bust, we arrested three more men aged between 21 and 42 at a location linked to the case," he said in a press conference at the state police headquarters today.
Kamarudin added that based on police intelligence, the syndicate has been active over the past one year and has been using the Frim Forest Reserve as a transit point to smuggle the drugs supply from a neighbouring country.
"We believe the drugs were obtained from Thailand and were smuggled into this country through the 'rat lanes' along the Malaysia-Thai border which is located just three kilometres away from the forest reserve and just two kilometres away from the main road.
"They have an access road to transport the drugs out from the transit location before being distributed to west coast states.
"The amount of methamphetamine that was seized could accommodate the supply for 2.6 million addicts," he said.
Kamarudin said police were still investigating whether any of the staff in the forest reserve were working with the syndicate since it is a designated federal forest reserve.
"We are trying to establish whether the syndicate's mastermind is among the four suspects arrested and we are also tracking down the remaining members of the syndicate," he said.
Kamarudin said police have also seized a watch, cash, eight motorcycles, three cars, a four-wheel vehicle and a backhoe belonging to the syndicate members.
All four suspects, who had various previous drugs and criminal records, also tested positive for methamphetamine and ketamine.
They are currently detained under remand for further investigation.