Seberang perai: Police have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate following the arrest of three people and the seizure of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) worth over RM1.2 million in two raids in Seberang Perai Tengah, near here, on Tuesday (June 9) and yesterday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail stated that the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) conducted the operation from 2 pm on Tuesday until 10 am yesterday, arresting two men and a woman aged between 24 and 33. In the first raid, police apprehended a man and a woman, seizing 302 plastic packets containing suspected MDMA powder weighing 8,086.80 grammes, valued at RM1.211 million. In a follow-up raid in the same area, police arrested another man believed to be acting as a runner for the syndicate.
Azizee added that preliminary investigations revealed the syndicate had been active since April, with the seized drugs believed to suffice for consumption by 26,956 addicts. All three suspects tested positive for ketamine, and the two men had prior records involving drug and criminal offences. Police also confiscated assets and cash belonging to the suspects worth RM215,783.20, including two cars, 30 pieces of jewellery, and two branded handbags, bringing the total value of seized drugs and assets to RM1.43 million.
The suspects have been remanded for seven days until June 16 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
In another case, Azizee reported that police also dismantled two call centres linked to online investment scam syndicates targeting foreign nationals in separate raids in Butterworth and Batu Ferringhi, near here, yesterday. In the first operation, a team from the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), along with the CCID from the Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) District Police Headquarters, raided premises in Butterworth, arresting four men, aged between 20 and 36, believed to be call centre agents promoting fake investments online via the Tantan social media platform targeting Singaporeans. They confiscated five mobile phones, three laptops, a modem, an access card, and a house key.
In a separate operation, the CCID from the Northeast District Police Headquarters raided a house in Batu Ferringhi, suspected of being an operational centre for an investment scam and a non-existent USDT cryptocurrency exchange syndicate. Police arrested five foreigners, including two women, aged between 24 and 46, with preliminary investigations suggesting the syndicate promoted fake investments and cryptocurrency exchanges targeting victims from China. They seized 10 mobile phones, four laptops, one CPU unit, two keyboards, three computer mice, an internet router, and a monitor believed to be used in the activity.
The two cases are being investigated under Sections 420 and 120B of the Penal Code for cheating and criminal conspiracy, with all those arrested brought to court for remand applications to assist further investigations.