The marine police recorded the success with the arrest of five men, two of whom are Indonesian, and the seizure of 263.7kg of syabu worth RM9.49 million in raids conducted last Wednesday and Thursday.
Penang police chief Sahabudin Abd Manan, in disclosing the details at a press conference today, said the police also seized two boats, four land vehicles valued at RM104,000, jewellery worth RM52,000 and RM30,950 cash.
The Malaysian and Indonesian masterminds of the syndicate are among the men who were arrested, he said, adding that all five are being remanded for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 that provides for the death sentence upon conviction.
Relating what happened, Sahabudin said a marine police team on an Op Benteng patrol in the waters of Teluk Tempoyak last Wednesday detained a boat and two Indonesians at 6.30pm after finding that the men had no travel documents.
“They were handed over to the marine police intelligence unit. After questioning them, the police raided a fisherman’s hut at an illegal jetty by the banks of Sungai Keluang in Bayan Lepas near here at 4am last Thursday.
“They arrested a 55-year-old Malaysian man and found 130 packages containing the drugs in another boat nearby.
“The police also searched a car there and found 115 packages of the drugs in a compartment carved out in the space between the rear seat and the boot of the vehicle,” he said.
Sahabudin said police then raided a house in Sungai Ara and arrested a 58-year-old fisherman, suspected to be the Malaysian mastermind. The man has a criminal record and tested positive for drugs.
Police also arrested a 57-year-old man in Kuala Juru, Bukit Mertajam, near here who runs a boat repair workshop and is believed to have links with the syndicate.
Sahabudin said the two Indonesians, aged 29 and 33, had travelled by boat from Acheh province in Indonesia to Malaysian waters to buy the drugs at sea so as to avoid detection even under the tight police security in place for the movement control order.
“The 33-year-old man is the Indonesian mastermind of the syndicate,” he said, adding that the two Indonesians were labourers in their country.
Sahabudin said the man who was arrested in the fishermen’s hunt in Bayan Lepas has 11 cases, including some related to drugs, on his record.
The seized syabu was destined for the Acheh market and could have been distributed to 1.32 million drug addicts, he said.