Police cripple syndicate with arrest of three men, seizure of heroin worth RM120,000

GEORGE TOWN - A short car chase in Nibong Tebal on the mainland has led to the arrest of three members of a drug trafficking syndicate and seizure of heroin worth RM120,000 in Penang and Perak.

Penang Narcotics Crime Investigation Department chief ACP Mohd Shukairy Abd Sabhe said police detected the first suspect travelling in a Volkswagen Passat in Jalan Besar Nibong Tebal at 3.50pm on Wednesday.

"When directed to stop, he stepped on the accelerator, resulting in police pursuing him. His car went out of control and crashed onto the left side of the road about 200 metres away.

"Our team arrested the 36-year-old driver and found 9,030 grammes of heroin worth RM120,000 inside the car,” he told a press conference here today.

He said the man, who works as a fisherman, was heading north to distribute the drugs.

In follow-up operations, police arrested a 53-year-old poultry breeder in Kuala Kurau, Perak at 4.45pm and a 34-year-old fisherman in Nibong Tebal at 10.45pm on the same day but no drugs were found.

"The three are members of a heroin trafficking syndicate operating in Penang and Perak since January this year. They raked in hundreds of thousands in profit every month,” he added.

"Police also seized RM50,000 in cash and a car worth RM80,000," he said.

He said all three tested positive for drugs and had criminal records for drug-related offences.

They have been remanded until June 22 for investigations. - BERNAMA