Penang narcotics criminal investigation department chief Shukairy Abd Sabhe said police detected the first suspect travelling in a car at Jalan Besar, Nibong Tebal, at 3.50pm on Wednesday.

“When directed to stop, he sped away, with police in hot pursuit. His car suddenly went out of control and crashed to the roadside several hundred metres away,” Shukairy said.

The 36-year-old driver was arrested and police found 9kg of heroin with a street value of RM120,000 inside the car.

The suspect, who works as a fisherman, was heading north to distribute the drugs, Shukairy said.

In follow-up operations, police arrested a 53-year-old poultry breeder in Kuala Kurau, Perak, at 4.45pm and a 34-year-old fisherman in Nibong Tebal at 10.45pm on the same day, but no drugs were found.

“The three are members of a heroin trafficking syndicate operating in Penang and Perak since January this year. They raked in hundreds of thousands (of ringgit) in profit every month,” he added.

Police also seized RM50,000 in cash and a car.

The suspects have been remanded until June 22 for investigations.