GEORGE TOWN: Police crippled a major heroin trafficking syndicate with the arrest of eight people and the seizure of RM753,000 worth of drugs, following five separate raids in Penang on Wednesday.
It is learnt that the syndicate, which comprises the eight suspects, including three women, aged between 19 and 41, was linked to several drug busts in the country before this.
Federal police Narcotic Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said the drugs seized were produced in two drug processing laboratories in Nibong Tebal and Air Itam.
“In the first raid in Nibong Tebal, police arrested two men, in their 20s, and found a packet of drugs as well as equipment to produce heroin.
“In a follow-up raid, police busted another drug processing laboratory in Air Itam here,” he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here today.
Mohmad said in the second raid, police arrested a man in his 30s, and seized 13 packets of heroin weighing 1.6kg and a box filled with 8.7kg of drugs.
He added that police then conducted a subsequent raid in Butterworth and seized another five packets of heroin weighing 2.3kg, where the three women were nabbed.
“In the other two raids in Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth, we detained another two men.
“Altogether, we seized 23.14kg of heroin, 65.32kg of white powder substance and 2.3kg of liquid,” he added.
He noted that police also seized four cars, four motorcycles and RM36,878 cash.
The case is investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.