International drug syndicate crippled in joint Malaysian-Thai operation, 252.2kg meth seized
GEORGE TOWN: A cross-border drug syndicate using Malaysia as a transit point was crippled following the seizure of 252.2kg of methamphetamine in joint operations across Malaysia and Thailand.
A joint Malaysian-Thai police operation has dismantled an international drug syndicate, seizing 252.2kg of methamphetamine in a significant blow to cross-border drug trafficking. The operation, dubbed Op Zoraptera, resulted from intelligence sharing and cooperation between the Royal Thai Police's Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Malaysia's Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department.
Penang police chief Datuk Dennis Lim revealed that the Malaysian authorities recovered 86.2kg of methamphetamine, worth RM4.31 million, while Thai authorities seized an additional 166kg. The operation targeted a syndicate that used modified vehicles to transport and conceal drugs, with the syndicate operating since June last year.
Four suspects, three men and a Thai woman, were arrested during raids in Selangor and Penang between August 13 and 14. The suspects, aged between 19 and 25, were charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries up to the death penalty upon conviction. The total value of the drugs and seized assets amounts to RM4.73 million.
The operation effectively demonstrated that Malaysia cannot be used as a safe transit point or destination for illegal drugs, and the close cooperation between Malaysian and Thai police will continue to be strengthened to combat cross-border drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
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