JOHOR BARU: For almost a year, a fish company here has been sending several “fishy” shipments to Hong Kong.

       However, their import activities came to an end when authorities in the special administrative region seized RM3mil worth of drugs hidden beneath a consignment of frozen fish on Oct 26.

       The international drug ring had been using a company with a licence to export fish to Hong Kong to smuggle drugs without its knowledge.

       Federal Narcotic Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Razarudin Husain (pic) said police launched four raids – two in Pekan Nanas, one in Gelang Patah and another in Kajang, Selangor, between 8.30am and 9.30am on Saturday.

       “The raids were a success as 12 people were arrested, including a woman, and 20.4kg of heroin worth RM1.9mil was seized.

       “Although the amount of drugs seized is considered small, this is a major breakthrough in international drug trafficking as the suspects have ties with a Hong Kong drug group,” he said at the Johor police headquarters here yesterday.

       Also seized were various assets and valuables worth over RM700,000, including 1.3 tonnes of fish.

       Investigations found that the syndicate had received their supply of drugs from a neighbouring country up north, which was then sent to a house in Pekan Nanas.

       Comm Razarudin said the drugs were packaged into transparent bags weighing between 270g and 275g each and hidden under the consignment of frozen fish and ice inside polystyrene boxes.

       “The syndicate used a local air courier for the shipments,” he said, adding that there had been nine shipments since the end of last year.

       “When the polystyrene boxes go through the scanner, it would be difficult for an untrained officer to differentiate between ice and drugs,” he said.

       Comm Razarudin added that checks on the suspects found two of them to be members of an active secret society in Johor while seven had previous drug and criminal offences.

       “Investigations also found that this syndicate had received offers to send drugs to Australia using a similar modus operandi,” he said.