JOHOR BARU: Police here have arrested three men and seized drugs worth RM856,800 during a raid on a house in Sungai Rengit, Pengerang.

       Johor Deputy Police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said that the raid was conducted last Sunday (June 27) at about 11am by the Johor Police Contingent Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) and Kota Tinggi NCID.

       He added that the success was based on police intelligence that started in February last year after receiving information on the syndicate's illegal activities.

       “The raid team had followed two Indonesian men aged between 51 and 60 on a pickup truck from Ulu Tiram heading towards Sungai Rengit, Pengerang before launching a raid upon arriving at a house, believed to have been used by the suspects to transit drugs.

       “The house was manned by a 24-year-old local man who then led police to a plastic bag stored inside the house. The bag contained 47,600 pills believed to be ecstasy weighing around 16kg with an estimated worth of RM856,800,” he added during a press conference at the Johor Police Headquarters, here on Thursday (July 1).

       DCP Khaw also said that the local suspect acted as the skipper for the syndicate while the two Indonesian men acted as a transporter.

       “The drugs are believed to have been brought from Johor Baru to Sungai Rengit before being sent out to the neighbouring countries by the skipper.

       “The police are also not ruling out the possibility of the drugs being sold to the locals around Sungai Rengit,” he said, adding that investigations are still ongoing to find out other members of the syndicate and the location of the supply.

       “We are doing our best to hunt down any remaining members of this syndicate and we hope to find their lab and bring down this group,” he added.

       DCP Khaw also informed that investigations revealed that the two Indonesian men were permanent residents in the country and do not have any prior record while the local male suspect tested positive for drugs and has three prior records.

       Police have also seized the pickup truck and cash worth RM1,300.

       The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act for trafficking in dangerous drugs which carries a mandatory death sentence.