KULIM: Police arrested eight individuals including a woman aged between 29 and 49 and seized cannabis weighing 58.98kg with a total value of RM147,450 around this district and Penang on Jan 6 and 7.

       Kedah police chief Comm Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said the first arrest involved a factory bus driver who was nabbed at the parking lot of a Public Housing area in Kelang Lama here at 5.15pm, on Jan 6.

       "A physical examination on the suspect found what believed to be cannabis weighing approximately 0.35g in a sling bag he was carrying.

       "Further inspection in a factory bus found two white sacks containing 19 pieces of compressed cannabis weighing more than 19.54kg and 22 compressed cannabis lumps weighing 22.39kg," he said at a press conference at the Kulim police headquarters here on Wednesday (Jan 12).

       After interrogating the man, the police seized 12 compressed pieces of cannabis with an estimated weight of 11.91kg in a white sack under the factory bus at about 12.45pm the following day, he added.

       "Following the first arrest, the police later picked up a man at the premises of RHB Bank in Jalan Pasar, Ayer Hitam, Penang at 10.15am on Jan 7, suspected of being involved in drug trafficking.

       "The results of the interrogation led police to another seizure in Seberang Jaya, Penang involving two transparent plastic packages containing drugs suspected to be cannabis weighing about 1.9kg," he said.

       Comm Wan Hassan said police later apprehended a couple and seized cannabis weighing an estimated 2.87kg at a house in Sungai Lokan, Sungai Dua, Butterworth near Penang at about 12.15pm on Jan 7.

       "Further inspection by the police in the house found several more packets and lumps containing drugs in a metal cupboard in the living room of the house," he said.

       In the following raid, Wan Hassan said the police arrested two men in front of a house in the Taman Kamuning area here at about 3.30pm on Jan 7 who were also believed to be involved in drug trafficking.

       He said a few hours later, two more men were arrested when they got out of a Nissan Sentra in a car park in Jalan Masjid Negeri, Greenlane, Jelutong, Penang and police found 10 compressed lumps believed to be cannabis in the vehicle.

       He said all the drugs were believed to have been obtained from neighbouring countries to be marketed in the state and Penang.

       "Preliminary investigation by the police found that all of them were suspected to have been involved in a drug trafficking syndicate since a year ago," he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.- Bernama