GEORGE TOWN: Penang police uncovered a heroin-processing laboratory and seized various types of drugs worth RM556,000, and arrested four men in three separate raids in the state last Saturday.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director, Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said based on information received, the first raid was conducted at 9.20am on a house in Taman Sentral, Butterworth, near here.
“In that raid, police arrested two men and uncovered a heroin-processing lab at the double-storey terrace house which was rented out to the syndicate involved.
“Police also seized 33.8kg of heroin, 44.8kg of caffeine, 745g of heroin base and 550 gm of chemicals in liquid and powder form, as well as drug-processing paraphernalia. The drugs seized were worth a total of RM556,000,“ he said at a press conference, here, today.
Mohmad said following this raid, police raided an apartment in Air Itam, here, and arrested a man believed to be the mastermind behind the drug processing and trafficking.
He said police then raided a house in Taman Seri Hijau, Jelutong, here, and nabbed another member of the syndicate but no drugs were seized from both men.
The preliminary investigation found that the syndicate was processing heroin at the terrace house before selling the drug in Penang and other northern states in the peninsula since last year.
Following the arrest of the four men aged between 33 and 49 years, police also seized four vehicles, namely a Toyota Alphard, Nissan Serena, Proton Saga and Proton Wira Aeroback, as well as cash amounting to RM8,200.
Mohmad said all the drugs seized could be supplied to 113,000 addicts and the four jobless suspects who had no previous records related to drugs were being remanded for seven days for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
He also said that the Narcotics CID across the country had seized various types of drugs with a total weight of 896.85kg and worth RM44.66 million since January until Feb 14, with 25,625 people arrested.
“Of those arrested, 23,967 were locals and 1,658 foreigners, while we also sealed RM90.1 million worth of assets belonging to the drug traffickers while RM20.65 million worth of assets were seized from them,“ he added. — Bernama
