GEORGE TOWN: Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) and Penang police crippled an ecstasy processing syndicate with the arrest of seven individuals in three separate raids on Thursday.
State police chief Datuk Seri A Thaiveegan said that the raiding party ambushed a double storey terrace house at Changkat Minden here, a condominium at Bayan Lepas and an apartment at Gelugor between 3.15am and 4.40am.
Police seized numerous types of drugs worth RM534,000 from the three raids.
“In the first raid at the terrace house, we detained four suspects with the drugs and other apparatus used to process ecstasy as well as 12 bullets.
“Two more were detained at the condominium while the other one was at the apartment, However no drugs were seized in these two raids,” he said in a press conference today.
The suspects, all locals aged between 26 and 58, four men and three women, were believed to have been involved in the drug processing activities for two months.
“All the seven suspects have been detained for seven days under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 to assist with the investigation.
“We are also trying to find out why the bullets were kept by the syndicate members,” he said.
Amongst the drugs seized were 3.4 kilograms (kg) of ecstasy, 3.5kg syabu, 2.3kg heroin, 1.5kg ketum leaves, 22kg caffeine, 1,800 yaba pills and 218 ecstasy pills.
Police also seized cash, jewelleries, five vehicles - Toyota Caldina, Mercedes Benz, Nissan Almera, Volkswagen and a Yamaha Ego Avantiz motorcycle worth RM390,188.44.