GEORGE TOWN: Just six days into the new year, police scored a major success in the fight against drugs, seizing syabu (methamphetamine crystals) and Ecstasy powder worth more than RM1mil in Relau.
State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said the seizure, one of the biggest in recent years, followed the arrest of a 31-year-old man in the inner city at 2.45pm on Sunday.
“The man, who we had been monitoring for some time, led a police team to a rented house in Relau where we recovered 3kg of syabu, also known as ice, and 1.5kg of Ecstasy powder,” he added.
“The house was being used as a drug-processing laboratory as half-finished syabu and an assortment of equipment such as ovens were found.”
He said the man, who was arrested for a drug offence recently, was in remand and the case is classified as trafficking under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
“We are looking for his accomplices. We are also trying to determine how long he was operating and where the drugs were being distributed,” he said.
DCP Ayub said the state narcotics department seized more than RM8.7mil worth of drugs and arrested 12,230 people for various drug offences, including trafficking, last year.
Ganja (marijuana) topped the list, with about 73kg seized, followed by heroin (68.49kg), ketamin (14.9kg), syabu (5.7kg), ketum leaves (38.4kg) and ketum water (8,452 litres).
Five major drug laboratories processing heroin, syabu and psychotropic pills were busted in various parts of the island and Machang Bubok in Bukit Mertajam, he added.
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