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More than S$39 million in drugs seized in Malaysia so far this year

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police foiled a foreigner-run drug syndicate with the arrest of several Nigerian men and a Ugandan woman in a series of raids on Monday (Aug 21).

Part of the drugs haul seized by Malaysia police. Photo: New Straits Times

Part of the drugs haul seized by Malaysia police. Photo: New Straits Times

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KUALA LUMPUR —  Malaysia's police have so far seized a whopping RM123.03 million (S$39.15 million) of drugs in raids across the country between January and August 17 this year.

Announcing this on Thursday (Aug 24), the Federal police's Narcotic Department (Intelligence/Operation) deputy director Kang Chez Chiang broke down the categories of the seized drugs.

Police seized 960.18kg of cannabis; 905.23 of syabu, 327.39kg of heroin and 111.16kg of ketamine in the period.

Also seized were more than 2.6 million Erimin 5 pills, 814,168 Yaba pills and 116,303 Ecstasy pills.

The drugs were smuggled into the country through land, sea and air. In its operations, the police arrested a total of 113,039 individuals for drug abuse.

"16,351 people were arrested for supplying drugs, 37,628 for possession, and 59,060 tested positive for drugs," he said.

Of the total, 5,012 people arrested were foreigners.

This announcement comes after the police foiled a foreigner-run drug syndicate with the arrest of several Nigerian men and a Ugandan woman in a series of raids on Monday. ​All arrested are aged between 25 and 42.

The police's Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and its Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (Sting) also discovered and seized 25 packets of drugs believed to be cannabis, stashed in two bags during the operation. The drugs, weighing 25.4kg and worth about RM100,000 on the market, could be distributed to 50,000 users.

Mr Kang said police acted on intel — provided by the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration — that the drugs had been smuggled into Malaysia from neighbouring countries. 

Police are still investigating the role of the woman in the syndicate, who had entered the country using a social visit pass.

Checks revealed that two of the men arrested had entered the country using study visas, but that they had expired.

Asked about the modus operandi of the syndicate, Mr Kang said that they would smuggle the drugs into the country and sell them within their social circles. The drugs would be hidden at one of the men's houses, before being distributed to their customers.

Mr Kang believes the drugs were sold to the mastermind's fellow college students, although the transactions are thought to have taken place off the education institutions’ premises. All detained are remanded until Monday. MALAY MAIL ONLINE

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