George town: Police arrested a local man and his Thai girlfriend for alleged drug trafficking in raids around Pulau Tikus and Tanjong Tokong here on July 10. Timur Laut district police chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the couple, aged 25 and 20, was arrested on a Pulau Tikus road at 11.30 pm by a team from its Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (BSJN) who launched an operation to crack down on drug trafficking activities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, police were then led to a house in Tanjong Tokong where a search turned up 15 compressed blocks of dried leaves wrapped in transparent plastic, suspected to be marijuana, weighing 8,200 grammes (g), worth RM25,420. Police intelligence showed this syndicate has been active since the beginning of this year, but further investigations are needed to identify the syndicate’s network at large, he said at the district police headquarters here today.

Abdul Rozak stated that the drugs, estimated at 16,400 doses, originated from a neighbouring country and was to be distributed for the market in Penang. He reported that the male suspect tested positive for Benzo-type drugs (sedative medication for insomnia, spasms) and had four previous criminal records, while the woman tested negative and had no record.