Nine Arrested in Johor as Police Smash Drug Syndicate Operating from Gated Apartments
In a significant victory against regional narcotics operations, Johor police have crippled a sophisticated drug syndicate running from luxury apartments masquerading as karaoke centres. Nine suspects, including four foreign nationals, were detained, with narcotics worth more than S$493,000 seized in a series of coordinated raids.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar disclosed that the syndicate, which had been active since March, strategically rented three gated and guarded apartments to conduct their illicit activities. By converting these apartments into private entertainment venues, they managed to attract customers while discreetly distributing drugs.
Apartments Used for Entertainment and Drug Processing
Comm Kumar elaborated that two of the apartments were transformed into karaoke-style settings, drawing clients under the guise of social gatherings, while a third apartment functioned as a drug-processing hub. Here, narcotics were repackaged into tea bags and cartridges, believed to be targeted for vape consumption—a method increasingly used to avoid detection.
Among those arrested were four Malaysian men, a local woman, a Singaporean man—suspected of being wanted in Singapore for drug trafficking—two Vietnamese women, and a Laotian woman. The suspects, aged between 21 and 64, had rented the apartments using aliases and third-party identities to shield their operations from authorities.
Narcotics Seized Could Have Fed Tens of Thousands
Police seized 10.044kg of ecstasy powder, 140g of methamphetamine, 61.5g of ketamine, 5.7g of Erimin 5 pills, 40g of yaba pills, 78g of ecstasy pills, and 33ml of suspected drug-laced liquid cartridges, with a total street value exceeding S$493,000. Comm Kumar stressed that the quantity of drugs recovered could have sustained the addiction of around 33,000 users had it reached the local market.
He revealed that a kilogram of ecstasy sold for approximately S$46, while the drug-laced tea bags fetched around S$1,450 per kilogram—highlighting the syndicate’s lucrative operation. Police are liaising with Singaporean counterparts, especially regarding the Singaporean suspect, and have identified a 52-year-old local man as the alleged mastermind behind the drug distribution network.
Comm Kumar affirmed that Johor police remain steadfast in their mission to dismantle organised crime, urging the public to report suspicious activities as part of a collective effort to ensure community safety.
Image Source: The Star (Screen Capture from video)