An unregistered temple in Klang was allegedly used as a heroin storage site by a drug syndicate, with police arresting a local man believed to be involved in the group who worked part-time at the place of worship.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the temple was among four locations raided by the Selangor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) during five separate operations across the state between Oct 13 and 19.
The operations targeted four different drug syndicates and resulted in the seizure of various narcotics worth an estimated RM16.2 million.
“Various types of drugs, including cannabis buds, ecstasy, ketamine and heroin, were seized in the five raids, with a total estimated value of RM16.2 million.
“Further investigations are ongoing, and we are not ruling out any possibilities. Initial checks found that the temple was unregistered and was believed to have been used to store heroin since early this year,” he said at a press conference at the Selangor Police Contingent Headquarters on Friday.
Shazeli said police believed the activity was linked to a drug distribution syndicate, but investigations were continuing to determine whether gangsterism or involvement by secret societies was also a factor.
Eight people, comprising six men and two women aged between 19 and 48, were arrested during the operations. They included three local men and one local woman, as well as three foreign men and one foreign woman.
All eight suspects were detained to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Shazeli said the four foreign suspects were believed to be involved in local and international drug trafficking networks.
They had entered Malaysia using social visit passes, and further checks were being conducted with the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
Some of the foreign suspects had reportedly been in the country for only a few days before their arrests.
“They are believed to have transited through KLIA before proceeding to their next destinations, but the drugs were detected in their luggage,” he said.
Police believe the drugs were brought into Malaysia from neighbouring countries before being distributed to domestic and overseas markets.
Background checks revealed that only one suspect had a criminal record, involving seven previous drug-related and other criminal offences. The remaining suspects had no previous criminal records.
The drugs seized included 81.3kg of compressed cannabis buds, 37kg of compressed cannabis, 3,510 ketamine liquid cartridges, 65.4kg of ketamine, 84 bottles of ecstasy liquid and 20.6kg of heroin.
Police also seized assets worth RM54,835 from four local suspects. The items included two cars, a Honda Accord and a Proton Saga, a Honda RS150 motorcycle, as well as cash in pound sterling and Malaysian ringgit.
The operations were conducted by the Selangor NCID with assistance from the Gombak District Police Headquarters, KLIA District Police Headquarters and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad auxiliary police.
