RM3.93 million worth of drugs, assets, uncovered in major Penang bust

New Straits Times

a day ago

GEORGE TOWN: Police arrested four men, including a Vietnamese, and seized 112.1kg of ganja buds worth RM3.72 million in two raids in Bukit Mertajam on Tuesday, acting Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said.
He said a team from the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department conducted the operation between 10am on Tuesday and 3am the following day, leading to the arrest of the four men, aged between 31 and 39.
In the first raid, police arrested two men in a hotel room and another man in the hotel lobby, who acted as a "transporter""
"Upon inspection, a canvas bag was found containing 9.2kg of ganja and 4.2kg of ganja buds," Alwi said.
"In follow-up operations, we later detained a Vietnamese man in Seberang Jaya.
"He led us to a homestay in the same area, which was being used as a storage facility for the drugs smuggled and distributed by the syndicate," he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here today.
Alwi said during a search of the homestay, police seized 105 packets of ganja buds weighing 97.7kg.
He said investigations revealed that the syndicate had rented the condominium-type homestay for the past week at a monthly rate of RM2,800.
"The syndicate sourced the ganja buds from international drug distribution networks in neighbouring countries and smuggled them into Malaysia via land routes for distribution in Penang and Kuala Lumpur," Alwi said.
"The man acting as the 'transporter' was paid between RM3,000 and RM4,000 for each trip to deliver the ganja buds.
"He is believed to have made two trips before police nabbed him."
Alwi said during the raid at the hotel, the "transporter" had just arrived to deliver the ganja buds while the two other men were waiting to receive the supply.
"They had used the hotel as a transit point," he said.
"As for the foreign man, who was arrested, he was involved in handling the ganja bud transactions between the local syndicate and the international network. The man, who works in the oil and gas industry, claimed to have entered the country on a business trip," he said, adding that the man was based in Thailand.
Intelligence showed the drug distribution activities have been going on since March and that police are actively tracking down the mastermind and the syndicate's network.
Police also seized RM1,300 in cash and three vehicles - a Toyota Alphard, a Honda City and a Yamaha Y16ZR motorcycle - all valued at RM199,300.
The total amount of drugs seized could supply around 230,000 drug users.
"Three of the local men arrested tested positive for drug abuse and have criminal records ranging from seven to 13 prior drug-related offences.
"Some of them had recently been released from prison for drug-related crimes," Alwi said.
All the suspects have been remanded for seven days until July 29 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.