FOUR men, including a Vietnamese national, have been arrested and over 112 kilogrammes of cannabis seized in a series of drug raids in Penang, police confirmed on Thursday.
Acting Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said officers from the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) launched the operation on Tuesday morning and wrapped it up by 3am on Wednesday.
The raids, conducted in Bukit Mertajam and Seberang Jaya, led to the arrest of four suspects aged between 31 and 39.
“In the first operation, police apprehended two men in a hotel room and another in the lobby, believed to be a transporter for the syndicate,” Mohd Alwi told reporters at the Penang police headquarters.
Officers seized a canvas bag containing 9.2 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis and over 4.2 kilogrammes of ganja buds.
Further investigation led to the arrest of a Vietnamese man in Seberang Jaya. Police then discovered a homestay rented by the group, used as a storage facility.
“At the homestay, we found 105 packages of cannabis buds weighing 97.7 kilogrammes,” said Mohd Alwi.
The syndicate is believed to have sourced the drugs from international trafficking networks in neighbouring countries and smuggled them into Malaysia by land for distribution in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
The transporter, police said, was paid between RM3,000 and RM4,000 per delivery and is suspected to have completed two runs before his arrest.
“Intelligence indicates the syndicate has been operating since March this year. We are now tracking down the mastermind and remaining members, who are believed to still be in the state,” Mohd Alwi added.
The seized drugs have an estimated street value of RM3.72 million.
Police also seized RM1,300 in cash and three vehicles - a Toyota Alphard, a Honda City, and a Yamaha Y16ZR motorcycle - with a total estimated value of RM199,300. The drugs seized are believed to be enough to supply approximately 230,000 addicts.
“The three local men arrested tested positive for drugs and have between seven and 13 previous records related to criminal and drug offences. Some had only recently been released from prison for similar offences,” he said.
All four suspects have been remanded for seven days until July 29 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - July 24, 2025
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