Show Posts
However, the 31-year-old mastermind of an African drug syndicate is now facing the prospect of being sent to the gallows after he was arrested by police on Saturday.
Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said six months of surveillance and intelligence gathering paid off when the suspect was nabbed in Lukut. “Our investigations revealed that the suspect was responsible for coordinating the import and export of drugs, with Malaysia mainly used as a transit point,” he said. “The mastermind had an extensive network of drug contacts in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and in the Southeast Asian region,” Noor Rashid revealed, adding police seized a BMW and a Toyota Camry during the arrest. It was learnt that the suspect had kept a low profile to avoid drawing attention from the authorities, as both cars were rented. It is also believed that the suspect had rented the bungalow, where he lived with his local girlfriend.
Checks revealed that the suspect had transferred substantial sums of money back to Nigeria on several occasions. Police are now checking all his bank accounts as part of investigations. The breakthrough came when a key lieutenant in the syndicate was arrested in Taman Seri Hartamas on Friday night. He later led police to a luxury condominium nearby where they found syabu and heroin.
“Police found 26 kg of ice and 16 kg of heroin worth RM5.6 million inside the condominium and several travelling bags which had been modified. Checks showed that each bag had special hidden compartments for storing drugs,” Noor Rashid said. “The bags were used by mules to smuggle drugs to various destinations worldwide or to bring the drugs into the country. The syndicate used either Nigerians or foreigners as mules, most of the time women.”
He added that police would be contacting Interpol to verify the mastermind’s business interests in Nigeria and the extent of his wealth. The two Nigerians and the local woman have been remanded for a week to facilitate investigations.
Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said six months of surveillance and intelligence gathering paid off when the suspect was nabbed in Lukut. “Our investigations revealed that the suspect was responsible for coordinating the import and export of drugs, with Malaysia mainly used as a transit point,” he said. “The mastermind had an extensive network of drug contacts in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and in the Southeast Asian region,” Noor Rashid revealed, adding police seized a BMW and a Toyota Camry during the arrest. It was learnt that the suspect had kept a low profile to avoid drawing attention from the authorities, as both cars were rented. It is also believed that the suspect had rented the bungalow, where he lived with his local girlfriend.
Checks revealed that the suspect had transferred substantial sums of money back to Nigeria on several occasions. Police are now checking all his bank accounts as part of investigations. The breakthrough came when a key lieutenant in the syndicate was arrested in Taman Seri Hartamas on Friday night. He later led police to a luxury condominium nearby where they found syabu and heroin.
“Police found 26 kg of ice and 16 kg of heroin worth RM5.6 million inside the condominium and several travelling bags which had been modified. Checks showed that each bag had special hidden compartments for storing drugs,” Noor Rashid said. “The bags were used by mules to smuggle drugs to various destinations worldwide or to bring the drugs into the country. The syndicate used either Nigerians or foreigners as mules, most of the time women.”
He added that police would be contacting Interpol to verify the mastermind’s business interests in Nigeria and the extent of his wealth. The two Nigerians and the local woman have been remanded for a week to facilitate investigations.
SOURCE: http://www.nst.com.my/latest/syndicate-leader-nabbed-1.135606#