JOHOR BAHRU: Johor police have uncovered a heroin processing laboratory and seized drugs worth RM1.08 million in Iskandar Puteri on March 23.
State police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said in a special operation carried out at 2 pm at a rental house, a 36-year-old local man who acted as a chemist and ‘runner’ was arrested.
The man is believed to have been paid a salary of RM10,000 a month to produce and distribute drugs to customers around Johor.
“The drugs seized in this operation include 57.83 kg of heroin worth RM642,588.88; 4.53 kg of base heroin worth RM420,828.56 and 77.70 kg of caffeine worth RM26,418.
“Various equipment to process drugs were also seized including five vehicles, a motorcycle, RM16,430 cash, various jewellery, 25 watch straps and 15 bank accounts worth RM473,283.42,” he told a press conference here today.
Ayob Khan said following the arrest of the man, the police also arrested two local women aged 34 and 35 in Temerloh, Pahang and Batu Gajah respectively.
“These two women are the wives of two other men who are wanted by the police to assist in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, whose their last addresses were Taman Bestari and Taman Perling, Iskandar Puteri,“ he said.
Ayob Khan said the modus operandi of the syndicate was to turn the rented “gated and guarded” house into a drug processing laboratory and is believed to have been operating for a year.
In another case, Ayob Khan said a 31-year-old local man was also arrested on March 25, also in Iskandar Puteri with syabu and ketamine worth RM347,874.44.
“Urine test results found that the suspect was positive for methamphetamine and had two previous criminal records and one ‘wanted’ record for drug cases.
“This man has only been conducting the activity for about a week in the ‘gated and guarded’ rental house to store drugs,“ he said, adding that police also seized a vehicle following the man’s arrest. — Bernama
