POLICE have sealed assets worth RM366 million belonging to a local drug kingpin and are hunting down the suspect, believed to be in hiding in a neighbouring country.

The assets include RM6 million in cash, RM21.6 million in bank accounts, RM143 million in company shares, properties worth RM198 million and vehicles valued at RM2.7 million.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said police are working with the neighbouring country’s authorities to arrest the suspect and bring him back to Malaysia.

“If he (drug kingpin) thinks he had bought the assets with halal money, he should come back. But, if he fails to return (to Malaysia), we will seize (the assets),” he told a press conference after launching a corporate video of the Bukit Aman Narcotic Crimes Investigation Department in Kuala Lumpur today.

Hamid said the suspect was likely aware that his cocaine business, disguised as a coal business, had been smashed in a raid in Penang on September 10, last year.

“At the time of the raid, he (the suspect) was already overseas and we monitored him for more than a month,” he said.

On September 10, police busted an international drug smuggling syndicate, seizing 12 tonnes of cocaine mixed with coal worth RM2.4 billion in three containers at the North Butterworth Container Terminal.

The syndicate, which had brought the drugs in in 60 sacks of coal from South America, was crippled in Op Eagle conducted in Butterworth and Bayan Baru in Penang, and Padang Serai, Kedah.

Police also arrested nine men, comprising five Myanmar nationals, Chinese nationals (2) and locals (2), believed to have links with the drug kingpin, in another raid dubbed Op Eagle Diamond at a warehouse in the Prai Industrial Estate, Seberang Prai, Penang, on January 16.

Hamid said police also seized 4.98kg of syabu and 114.6kg of chemicals, as well as drug-processing equipment, worth RM250,000.

“All the suspects, aged between 33 and 51 years old, have no past criminal records and are being  investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Their seven-day remand order, which expired on January 22, has been extended until Thursday.”

In another development, NCID director Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said police have held discussions with courier service companies to gain their cooperation in dealing with drug trafficking. 

“I met with them and, as a result, the companies represented at the meeting agreed to cooperate with the police. They understand that drug dealers use courier services as one of their modus operandi to distribute drugs,” he said. – Bernama, January 28, 2020.