Thursday September 23, 2010
RM189mil drugs seized from Iranians
By ANDREW SAGAYAM
[email protected]
PETALING JAYA: Drugs worth over RM189mil were seized from international syndicates operated by Iranians in the country this year. Narcotics Crime Investigation Department acting director Deputy Comm Datuk Othman Harun said 124 Iranians were arrested from January to October this year compared to last year’s 20.
“We seized 476kg of syabu in liquid form, 276kg of syabu in powder form and 4kg of cocaine from syndicates operated by Iranians. “From the present market value of RM250,000 per kg, we have seized over RM189mil worth of drugs from these syndicates,” he said, adding that three drug labs were busted this year as well.
He said that 68 of the Iranians were nabbed at the KL International Airport, while the rest were caught in hotels and residential areas in the Klang Valley. DCP Othman said on Tuesday, police busted the latest international drug syndicate based in an apartment in Kelana Jaya where RM3.6mil worth of syabu was seized, and recovered luxury cars worth over RM1.5mil including a Ferrari.
The syndicate members – seven Iranians and two locals aged between 19 and 35 – were arrested at various locations in the Klang Valley including at the Kelana Jaya apartment, which was used as their drug lab. The series of arrests started with the police arresting two Iranians and two locals at the parking lot of an apartment in SS7/19.
There a police team inspected a Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz and found 2.5kg of syabu inside a luggage bag in one of the cars. Three more cars – a Mercedes-Benz, Honda Accord and Proton Wira seized from the four suspects.
DCP Othman said police later raided the apartment unit and nabbed two more Iranians and seized 12.8kg of syabu in liquid and powder form. Several equipment, 46,400 pills and six bottles containing a mixture of chemicals were also seized from the unit. Police also confiscated US$17,000, RM5,303, Iranian rial 100,000 in cash.
