JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 8 — The Johor police smashed a drug syndicate after arresting two men and seizing drugs worth RM3.44 million in raids on four locations around the city and Tangkak from Saturday (August 3) until yesterday.
Johor police chief CP M. Kumar said the duo in their 30s were nabbed in a special operation carried out by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) of the Johor police contingent headquarters (IPK), together with the Johor Bahru Selatan CID.
The first suspect, a 33-year-old local man, was arrested on Saturday in a car used as storage to hide the drugs.
“Following the arrest of the first suspect on August 3 at 9am, we arrested the second suspect, who is 36 years old, at a house in Tangkak yesterday. The two suspects are part of a drug packaging and trafficking syndicate,” he said during a press conference at the Johor IPK today.
Kumar said their modus operandi was to use a vehicle parked at the apartment in Johor Bahru as a store for drugs by the syndicate, which has been active since June.
“In the raids, police confiscated 18,634.60g of ecstasy powder, 115 bottles of drug-laced juice (47.90 litres), 55 containers of jelly mixed with ecstasy (1,674g), 17 packets of ketamine (24.08g), 35 ecstasy pills (15.20g) and 50 Erimin 5 pills (13.60g) worth RM3.447 million.
“Police also confiscated a car, two motorcycles and RM160 cash,” he said.
This was the first seizure of drugs in the form of a jelly where each jar of the jelly drug was sold at RM150 to RM200.
“The syndicate also sells a combo of jelly and (liquid) drugs for RM480, sold to specific customers. It also sells flavoured juice mixed with drugs and sells at RM200 per bottle in the local market.
"Usually, syndicates will use popular drink labels to avoid detection,” Kumar said.
The two suspects tested negative for any drugs but both have past criminal records related to crime and drugs.
“The suspects are remanded until this Saturday for investigation under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Police are still tracking the remaining members of the syndicate who are still at large,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kumar said the police will investigate the rise of electronic cigarettes (vape) containing ‘magic mushrooms’ which are popular among students. So far, no reports on magic mushrooms have been received.
“I saw a newspaper clipping from Berita Harian that mentioned this matter. I have instructed the head of the Johor NCID to conduct intelligence on this. I also appeal to anyone with information on this to call the JSJN hotline at 012-2087222.
“We assure informants that everything will be kept confidential when we take action,” he said.
Yesterday, Berita Harian reported an increase in school students in the city who are addicted to electronic cigarettes that contain magic mushrooms that are easily available.
Bandar Baru Permas Jaya neighbourhood association chairman A. Habib Syed Sallilah Aasad was quoted as saying that sellers are now targeting magic mushroom sales among teenagers.
It is understood that the magic mushroom vape or 'Shroom' contains the active ingredient ‘psilocybin’ that has very strong hallucinogenic properties which alter the perception of reality.
— Bernama
