GEORGE TOWN: Police arrested four people, including a married couple, for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking syndicate in separate raids here and Tanjong Tokong yesterday.
During the operations, from 10pm yesterday until 11am today, police seized a total of 21kg of ganja, including "pucuk bunga ganja", worth RM66,000.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said the pucuk bunga ganja, which is limited in production, fetched a higher price compared with the normal ganja.
"According to the market rate, the pucuk bunga ganja is priced at RM5,000 per kg while the normal ganja, RM3,000 per kg.
"They are of higher quality and limited in stocks," he told newsmen at the state police contingent headquarters here today.
Elaborating, Khaw, who is Penang police chief, said a total of three raids were carried out and police arrested three men and a woman, aged between 28 and 41, believed to be involved in the drug trafficking activity.
He said, in the first raid, police arrested two men, suspected of being "runners" of this syndicate, in a car park in George Town.
"We found a brown box inside which contained five compressed pieces of ganja, estimated to weigh 5kg and worth RM17,000.
"In a follow up operation, police arrested a man, believed to be the syndicate head, in Tanjung Tokong.
"Following further interrogation, police raided a luxury condominium, also in Tanjung Tokong, and arrested a woman, who is the wife of the syndicate head.
"Inside the house, we found a blue plastic box containing 14 compressed pieces of dried ganja leaves, estimated to weigh 12kg worth RM37,000. Police also found a brown box containing 14 plastic packages of ganja, weighing 4kg worth RM12,000," he added, noting that they also seized pucuk bunga ganja.
Khaw said the syndicate had been active since September last year and the drugs were meant for the local market.
He said the drugs seized could be used by as many as 50,000 people or 50,000 times.
Khaw said a urine test for one of the runners came back positive for drugs.
One of the suspects has past criminal and drug records.
"All those arrested will be remanded for seven days for investigation under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he said.
Police also confiscated a car and motorcycle worth RM12,500, bringing the total seizure to RM78,500.