GEORGE TOWN: A syndicate thought it could outsmart the police by mixing MDMA drugs, also known as ecstasy, into soft drink bottles and packets before delivering to their customers.
However, police managed to track their activity and detained seven people, including three women, aged 20 to 35, in two separate raids recently.
State Narcotics Department chief Assistant Commissioner Maidu Abu Bakar said police detained a couple by the roadside at Pulau Tikus here about 10.20pm on Jan 9 with drugs in their car.
They led the police team to an apartment in Bukit Tengah on the mainland, past midnight the next day, where police found more drugs.
There, the raiding party detained another five people.
A total of 131 packets containing MDMA powder worth RM428,050, and 27 soft drinks mixed with the same drugs worth RM6,750 were seized.
Police also seized four cars, four branded handbags, two watches and cash.
"The syndicate has been active for about three months now. The drugs were for the local market.
"All these are readymade. They will receive their orders and the syndicate will deliver directly to their customers," he told a press conference here today.
Maidu said the seized drugs in soft drinks were sold at RM350 per bottle and the total drugs could be misused by 790 drug addicts.
All the seven detainees have been remanded for six days until Jan 15, and the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for trafficking.
Meanwhile, under the Ice Breaker Ops 2.0 held on Jan 10 until Jan 11 to cripple drug related activities, police arrested a total of 183 people.
Some 16 people were arrested under the Special Preventive Measures, 11 for trafficking drugs, 51 for possessing drugs, seven for possessing ketum drinks and 98 who tested positive for drugs.
A total of 178 of them were men while the remaining were women.