Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: THE front of the shop was ordinary-looking, selling glassware and crockery, but behind the facade was a multi-million-ringgit drug operation with heroin smuggled in from Pakistan.
Police raided the rented shop at Putra Majestic in Jalan Kasih Pillay, Sentul, on Monday afternoon, and arrested a Pakistani and seized 61kg of brown heroin worth RM2.55 million (S$1.02 million).
Ironically, the Sentul police station is also located in a shoplot at Putra Majestic.
Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police had received a tip-off several days ago about a huge consignment of heroin being smuggled into the country.
"A team of policemen kept the shoplot under surveillance for several days as it was learnt that the drug had been smuggled into the country in about 20 crates, which had several secret compartments."
It is learnt that the crates arrived in the shop several days ago before police moved in. The syndicate did not have time to distribute the drug.
A check on the Pakistani's passport revealed that he had entered Malaysia on a social visit visa.
"The syndicate is believed to have been operating for several months and specialises in high-grade heroin," said Noor Rashid.
"However, this heroin is not from the Golden Triangle but from Afghanistan."
He added that police checks revealed that the crates had been sent to Kuala Lumpur from Lahore, Pakistan.
"Police believe that this syndicate has links with African drug syndicates."
Police are looking for other syndicate members and are trying to determine whether the brown heroin, which has a purity of about 30 per cent, was meant for the local or overseas market.
KUALA LUMPUR: THE front of the shop was ordinary-looking, selling glassware and crockery, but behind the facade was a multi-million-ringgit drug operation with heroin smuggled in from Pakistan.
Police raided the rented shop at Putra Majestic in Jalan Kasih Pillay, Sentul, on Monday afternoon, and arrested a Pakistani and seized 61kg of brown heroin worth RM2.55 million (S$1.02 million).
Ironically, the Sentul police station is also located in a shoplot at Putra Majestic.
Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police had received a tip-off several days ago about a huge consignment of heroin being smuggled into the country.
"A team of policemen kept the shoplot under surveillance for several days as it was learnt that the drug had been smuggled into the country in about 20 crates, which had several secret compartments."
It is learnt that the crates arrived in the shop several days ago before police moved in. The syndicate did not have time to distribute the drug.
A check on the Pakistani's passport revealed that he had entered Malaysia on a social visit visa.
"The syndicate is believed to have been operating for several months and specialises in high-grade heroin," said Noor Rashid.
"However, this heroin is not from the Golden Triangle but from Afghanistan."
He added that police checks revealed that the crates had been sent to Kuala Lumpur from Lahore, Pakistan.
"Police believe that this syndicate has links with African drug syndicates."
Police are looking for other syndicate members and are trying to determine whether the brown heroin, which has a purity of about 30 per cent, was meant for the local or overseas market.
