POLICE arrested eight people, ages 29 and 49, and seized cannabis weighing 59kg with a street value of RM147,450 in Kulim and Penang on January 6 and 7.

Kedah police chief CP Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said the first arrest was a factory bus driver who was detained in the carpark of a public housing area in Kelang Lama, Kulim, at 5.15pm, on January 6.

“A search of the suspect uncovered 0.35g of cannabis in a sling bag he was carrying.

“Further inspection of a factory bus found two white sacks containing 19 pieces of compressed cannabis weighing 19.5kg and 22 compressed cannabis lumps weighing 22.4kg,” he said at a press conference at Kulim police headquarters today.

After interrogating the man, the police seized 12 compressed pieces of cannabis weighing 11.9kg in a white sack under the factory bus at 12.45pm on January 9, he added.

“Following the first arrest, the police later picked up a man at RHB Bank on Jalan Pasar, Ayer Hitam, Penang, at 10.15am on January 7, on suspicion of drug trafficking.

“The results of the interrogation led police to another seizure of two transparent plastic packages containing cannabis weighing about 1.9kg in Seberang Jaya, Penang,” he said.

Wan Hassan said police later apprehended a couple and seized cannabis weighing an estimated 2.87kg at a house in Sungai Lokan, Sungai Dua, Butterworth, at 12.15pm on January 7.

“Further inspection by the police in the house found several more packets and lumps containing drugs in a metal cupboard in the living room of the house,” he said.

In the following raid, Wan Hassan said the police arrested two men in front of a house in the Taman Kamuning area, Kulim, at 3.30pm on January 7.

He said a few hours later, two more men were arrested when they got out of a Nissan Sentra in a carpark on Jalan Masjid Negeri, Greenlane, Jelutong, Penang, and police found 10 compressed cannabis lumps in the vehicle.

He said all the drugs were believed to have been obtained from neighbouring countries to be sold locally.

“We believe they had been operating for about a year,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. – Bernama, January 12, 2022.