Penang police arrest married couple, two others in drug syndicate on Thai intel tip

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 1 — A series of raids conducted by Penang police, in collaboration with Royal Thai Police, led to the arrest of four key members of an international drug syndicate and the seizure of 86 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at RM4.31 million. The operation, dubbed Op Zorav Terra, was initiated following intelligence shared between Malaysian and Thai authorities after a Malaysian man was arrested in Thailand in August.

Penang police chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng revealed that the arrests included a married couple, two local men, and a Thai woman who acted as a transporter. The operation in Selangor uncovered 80 packages containing the 86 kg of illicit drugs hidden in a specially designed compartment in a Nissan Teana parked at a hotel in Butterworth.

The suspects, aged between 19 and 25, had no prior criminal records. The mastermind behind the syndicate is believed to be based in Thailand, while its members and network operated across both countries. All suspects were arrested under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. NCID deputy director Datuk Zairulnizam Mohd Zainuddin and Royal Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau Intelligence Sub-Division Police Colonel Sintu Chanpaibooi attended the press conference announcing the arrest and seizure.