Police have crippled a synthetic drug syndicate following the arrest of eight individuals, including a 16-year-old teenager, during three separate raids in Johor Bahru.
The operations carried out on July 18 resulted in the seizure of 50 plastic packets containing suspected methamphetamine weighing 60.78kg, with an estimated street value of RM3.04 million.
Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the arrests were made following intelligence gathered by the Johor Bahru South district police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (NCID).
He said the suspects, aged between 16 and 78, included seven locals and a foreign national.
“The first raid was conducted at a parking area near a hotel in Johor Bahru, resulting in the arrest of four local men and a foreign suspect,” he said.
Police later discovered the drugs hidden inside a Perodua Bezza believed to belong to the grandfather of the 16-year-old suspect.
A follow-up raid at the same hotel led to the arrest of three more local men believed to be linked to the syndicate.
Initial investigations revealed that the group allegedly operated through a structured network, with the teenager and foreign national believed to have acted as drug couriers, while another suspect was responsible as a runner.
Police also believe two other suspects served as assistants to a man in his 50s, who is allegedly the syndicate’s mastermind, while another individual was believed to have planned the group’s operations.
The syndicate was reportedly active since early May, using vehicles as storage facilities to keep and distribute drugs to the local market. Authorities estimated the seized drugs could have supplied up to 303,900 drug users.
Police also revealed that the 16-year-old suspect had dropped out of school in January last year. Initial urine screenings found three suspects, including the teenager, tested positive for methamphetamine, while four others were found to have previous criminal records.
Apart from the drug seizure, police confiscated assets worth RM100,162 under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, including a Toyota Camry, Proton Saga and several jewellery items.
The total value of the seized drugs and assets was estimated at RM3.14 million.
All eight suspects have been remanded until July 25 to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
