KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani drug syndicate, using Malaysia as a transit point, was busted with the seizure of 35kg of heroin worth RM2.8mil.
A total of 22 Pakistanis aged between 20 and 45 were detained by the Bukit Aman’s Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (Sting) in separate raids in Desa Melawati at about 5.30pm on Saturday.
It is learnt that the syndicate had hidden 33 drug caches underneath sacks of animal feed stored in three containers in Desa Melawati.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the heroin was shipped from Karachi and was to be trafficked to western countries.
“The syndicate, operating for a month, was using our country as a transit point before sending the shipment to the targeted countries,” he said at Bukit Aman yesterday.
Comm Mohd Mokthar said eight of the Pakistanis detained did not have proper documents.
“We believe they were dealing with high grade heroin as its purity was very high,” he said, adding that the syndicate tried to fool the authorities by hiding the drugs underneath animal feed.
Comm Mohd Mokthar also revealed that the department had seized RM168mil worth of drugs between January and July this year.
“We also seized RM39.7mil worth of assets belonging to those involved in drug trafficking and RM4.5mil more in asset forfeiture,” he said.
Meanwhile in Seremban, police have detained 4,519 individuals for various drug-related offences in the first seven months of this year.
State deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm T. Narenasagaran said the police also nabbed 2,362 individuals for drug abuse. Five suspects were detained in separate raids for drug trafficking on July 24.
An automatic pistol, 72 live bullets, an assortment of drugs worth some RM390,000, three luxury cars and a motorcycle were seized from three suspects.
