KUALA LUMPUR: A swimming coach, suspected to be the mastermind of a syndicate smuggling and distributing syabu, was detained with three other individuals in a police operation in Selangor and Johor on April 22 and 23.

       The four men aged between 25 to 29, were locals and were believed to be planning to smuggle the confiscated drug worth RM10.3mil to local and international markets.

       Bukit Aman Narcotics CID (NCID) director, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said they were all detained in four raids with two being detained at their respective homes in Puchong here while the rest in Johor Bahru.

       He said a preliminary investigation found the syabu seized weighing 287kg were smuggled in the northern part of the peninsula via ship.

       "They will then transit in the Klang Valley before it is marketed to neighbouring countries via the southern border by the syndicate which was believed to be active since early this year.

       "The syabu, seized through the collaboration of Bukit Aman NCID, Selangor contingent and Johor NCID, is believed to be adequate for 1.4 million drug addicts,” he told a media conference at Bukit Aman here on Monday (April 25).

       Asked if the swimming coach involved was a national or international swimming coach, he said the police were still investigating the matter.

       Ayob Khan said the police also seized various types of assets involving vehicles and cash used by the syndicate valued at RM173,000.

       He said urine tests on all the suspects were negative and three had drug and crime records.

       The four were remanded seven days to help in the investigation and the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, he added. - Bernama