JOHOR BAHRU: Police have crippled a syndicate, which tried to smuggle drugs into Indonesia by hiding the substance in jerry cans, following the seizure of 31.25 kilogrammes of syabu worth RM1.4 million around the city here and Kota Tinggi on Dec 6 and yesterday.
Johor Police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay (pix) said that three syndicate members, aged between 33 and 46 and acting as ‘runners’, were also detained under the special operation carried out by the Wilayah Dua Marine Police Force and Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department.
He said two men, a local and an Indonesian, were detained in Batu Layar on Dec 6 at 7.15pm while another local man was arrested yesterday in Bandar Penawar at 2.30 am (Monday).
He explained that they were all arrested while waiting for the boat to take the drugs to the neighbouring country.
“Their modus operandi is to hide the drugs in jerry cans to hoodwink the authorities before sending them to Indonesia by boat.
“They have been operating since March and we believe they are linked to a drug trafficking syndicate in Indonesia,” he said at a press conference here today.
Ayob Khan said urine tests done on the suspects found that two of them were positive for methamphetamine and they also had criminal records for fraud and theft.
Police, he said, also confiscated a Honda Civic worth RM40,000 and would continue to track down the mastermind and remaining syndicate members.
He said the three suspects had been remanded for seven days from Dec 7 and the case would be investigated under Section 39B and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama
