IPOH, March 2 — Several individuals, including those with ‘Tan Sri’, ‘Datuk Seri’ and ‘Datuk’ titles have been identified as being the masterminds of more than five drug syndicates in the country, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.
He said the police are actively gathering evidence that can implicate them and the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department has made seizures of up to billons of ringgit involving the syndicates.
“Every week would record (police’s success in busting) one or two syndicates nationwide. It is learnt that there are more than five drug syndicates that are masterminded by these VIPs.
“Once we have enough evidence that these individuals are masterminding the syndicates, we will take action. Otherwise, our efforts will be in vain. It’s a waste to arrest and charge (small fry) in court, but those at the top are still at large,” he said.
He said this at the closing ceremony of the Constable Basic Course for Orang Asli series 1/2020 at the General Operations Force (GOF), Hulu Kinta yesterday.
Abdul Hamid, however, refused to disclose further details on the case as it was still under investigation, but gave his assurance that he would take the fight against the drug threat to the grassroots.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Razarudin Husain said that three individuals with the titles ‘Tan Sri’ and ‘Datuk Seri’ who were suspected to be masterminds of international drug syndicates were not politicians but businessmen.
However, he said that the police would not rush to take action against them as his team needed to collect enough evidence first.
“There is a Tan Sri and two Datuk Seri(s) on our radar, but we are still conducting further investigations so that we have a solid case against them,” he told a press conference in George Town, Penang today.
Razarudin had previously said that the three VIPs also used their status to build network with other influential people to launder their illicit gains from criminal activities, adding that the funds were used for ventures in hospitality, shipping, transport and steel industries to avoid detection by the authorities.
