PENANG police smashed a drug trafficking ring with the arrest of three men and a woman and seized drugs worth almost RM2 million in a series of raids from January 20-22.

State police chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said acting on a tip-off and intelligence findings over the past month, police nabbed the first suspect, a 43-year-old man, in Bukit Minyak at 5pm on January 20.

“Three yellow plastic packets with the word ‘daguanyin’, a Chinese tea brand, containing 3.16kg of syabu worth RM113,800 were found on the man, who later led police to his house in Bukit Minyak,” he told a press conference in George Town today.

“At the house, police detained the man’s 30-year-old wife and found 20 similar packets containing 20.8kg of syabu worth RM748,800, 1.3kg of ketamine worth RM70,900 and 58,750 Eramin 5 pills worth RM881,250.” 

He said the third suspect was picked up when his car was stopped for inspection at 11am in Butterworth, during which four packets of ketamine weighing 3.25kg and worth RM178,750 were found in the vehicle. The fourth suspect was detained the following day, also in Butterworth.

Shuhaily said the gang is believed to have been active since early last year.

He said apart from the drugs, eight luxury cars, cash and jewellery worth RM1.31 million were also seized.

All suspects have been remanded to asisst in the investigations under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. 

Suhaily also said police have detained 334 people, aged between 15 to 61, and seized various drugs worth RM14,208 in the Ops Tapis statewide from January 21-23.

Also detained were two policemen from the Penang police contingent headquarters, who were tested positive for drugs during a urine test conducted on Monday and Wednesday.

Suhaily said police will not compromise with anyone, including police personnel, if they are found to have flouted the law or on drugs. – Bernama, January 26, 2022.