BALIK PULAU: A heroin smuggling syndicate has been crippled following the arrest of a suspect and seizure of drugs worth RM61,573.

       Balik Pulau OCPD Supt Kamarul Rizal Jenal said the 36-year-old suspect was detained in two raids conducted by a team from state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) and Balik Pulau police on the mainland at Central Seberang Prai and the southwest district on the island.

       Supt Kamarul said that in the first raid, police arrested the suspect at the roadside of Jalan Tun Hussein Onn in Seberang Jaya at about 4pm on Sept 24.

       "During the arrest, police confiscated two bags containing 907.3g of heroin," he told a press conference at Balik Pulau police headquarters.

       Supt Kamarul said the suspect then brought police to a parking lot of a condominium near Golden Triangle, Relau, where police found several bags containing heroin weighing about 3.687kg in a car.

       He said the total haul confiscated during the operation was 4.595kg of heroin worth RM61,573.

       "The drugs can cater to 22,975 addicts. We also seized a car during the operation," he said.

       He said the suspect had been active for the past five months and the drugs were meant for local distribution.

       Supt Kamarul said background checks showed that the suspect has a record of one criminal and three drug offences.

       The suspect has been remanded from Sept 25 until Oct 1, and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, he added.