POLICE arrested a married couple and seized 51 slabs of dried compressed leaves suspected to be cannabis weighing 51.6kg, worth an estimated RM160,000, in a raid on a house in Bandar Seri Astana, Sungai Petani on Monday.

Kuala Muda district police chief Zaidy Che Hassan said the couple, both aged 32, were detained in a raid carried out by the Penang contingent’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Department at 12.30am.

“In the raid, the man is believed to have just collected the drug supply from Kelantan and stopped to rest at the house before heading to distribute the drugs in northern Perak.

“A slab of dried compressed leaves suspected to be cannabis was found in the house while 50 other slabs were found in a Honda Jazz, which is believed to have been used by the suspect to collect and distribute the drugs,” he told a media conference at the Kuala Muda district police headquarters today.

Zaidy said the man, who works in a factory, is believed to be a transporter, receiving payment to collect drug supplies from a neighbouring country and distribute them in bordering states based on demand.

“The payment is about RM100 for every slab of compressed drugs delivered. Preliminary investigations found that the suspect has been active in drug trafficking activities since April and had made three deliveries prior to his arrest,” he said.

He said the couple’s one-year-old daughter was also in the house during the raid and that police also seized a motorcycle.

Zaidy said the man, who also had two narcotics and two criminal records, tested positive for drugs. 

“Both suspects have been remanded for a week until September 3. The case is investigated under sections 39B and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.

Saying that the drugs seized could have been used by up to 103,270 addicts, Zaidy urged those with information on drug trafficking or drug abuse activities to channel information to 012-2087222. – Bernama, August 30, 2023.