JOHOR BAHRU: Police have dismantled an international drug syndicate involving the processing, packaging and distribution of drugs with the arrest of a couple in four separate raids around Iskandar Puteri and the city on Aug 17.
State police chief Commissioner M. Kumar said the raids conducted have led to the seizure of over six kilogrammes (kg) of various types of drugs with an estimated value of RM2.04 million, along with drug-processing equipment.
He said that during the first raid, the Johor police contingent's Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and the Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters' department arrested a 31-year-old foreign man, believed to be the 'mastermind', at a gated and guarded terrace house in the Eco Flora area, leading to the discovery of a significant amount of drugs.
"Following the arrest of the man, a 38-year-old woman was detained on the roadside in Taman Setia Indah on the same day and the local woman then led the police to two more locations at a terrace house and an apartment around Johor Bahru.
"In the raids, the police seized 3.672 kg of ecstasy powder valued at RM613,340; 20.21 litres of liquid ecstasy (RM1,350,028); 1.85g of erimin 5 pills; 12.80g of ecstasy pills (RM2,100); 4.80g of nitrazepam pills (RM160) and 2.600 kg of syabu (RM83,200) where the overall total is estimated at RM2.048 million.
"We also confiscated drug-processing equipment and precursors used in the drug-making process. The police also seized a car (RM360,000), cash amounting to RM131,598, various types of jewellery (RM8,880), cash in Singapore dollars (SGD100) and three bank accounts with a total seizure value of RM630,596," he said during a press conference today.
He added that initial investigations revealed that the male suspect had expertise in processing drugs from scheduled substances, including methanol, sulphuric acid, and various other chemicals.
He said investigations are still ongoing to determine how and where the suspect obtained these scheduled substances and their intended use is still being identified.
"Urine tests revealed that the male suspect tested positive for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, while the woman tested positive for Benzodiazepines (Benzo).
"Neither suspect has any prior criminal record and they are currently remanded until this Saturday.
"The police believe that this syndicate not only processed drugs for the local market but also for neighbouring countries. We believe that this syndicate has been operating since May.
"We also believe that the male suspect is the 'mastermind', but we are still working to track down other members who are believed to act as couriers.
"Initial investigations suggest that this syndicate distributed drugs in small quantities, so we believe there are other syndicate members acting as couriers to deliver drugs to designated destinations. They also produced vape liquids containing drugs and small packets for distribution," he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.