SHAH ALAM: In just two months, the police narcotics crimes investigations department (NCID) busted 56 drug syndicates seizing more than RM245 million worth of narcotics nationwide.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador today said the busts between January and February this year also led to the arrest of 217 people who were involved with the syndicates.
He said the seized drugs comprised erimin-5, syabu, ganja and ketum leaves.
“Early last year, drug seizures were lower due to the Covid-19 pandemic where all border checkpoints were closed and the movement control order (MCO) was implemented, causing a shortage of drugs. However, between July and October, seizures rose when the syndicates resumed their activities using sea and air routes. The syndicates had also used commercial lorries, courier services and p-hailing services to distribute drugs,“ he said in a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters here.
Abdul Hamid said several parcels that were shipped overseas using courier services to Indonesia, South Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan were detected by the authorities of the respective countries.
He said kitchen hoods appeared to be used by the syndicates to conceal the drugs and ship it out to avoid suspicion.
Abdul Hamid said another tactic of the syndicates was to conceal the drugs in the walls of boxes filled with religious paraphernalia.
He said commercial lorries carrying essential goods were also exploited by the syndicates as it was allowed to carry out interstate travel during the MCO.
Abdul Hamid said in the latest bust on Wednesday, the federal NCID arrested three suspects aged between 37 and 42 in a raid at a house in Kajang where 983 kg of syabu worth RM35.4 million was seized.
He said the suspects were runners of a syndicate and a hunt for their bosses is underway.
Abdul Hamid said the syndicate had only begun its activities in January.
He said the seized drugs could feed the addiction of more than 4.9 million drug users.
