KUANTAN: An ex-convict, previously jailed multiple times for drug offences, was arrested after police discovered 56.2kg of ganja inside his car at Lorong Seri Mahkota Permai, here, on June 15.
The 39-year-old suspect, who sourced the drugs from a neighbouring country, was allegedly preparing to distribute them to customers when police ambushed him around 1.30pm.
The suspect, alone at the time, made no attempt to flee as the raiding team seized 54 slabs of compressed ganja from the trunk of his Perodua Myvi.
Pahang acting police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said that acting on a tip-off, the Pahang Narcotics Crime Investigation Department had staked out the Myvi parked on the roadside.
"The suspect was inside the vehicle, and upon searching the car's boot, police discovered slabs of compressed ganja valued at RM173,000. He was allegedly awaiting clients to distribute the drugs."
"Investigations revealed the suspect had been involved in these activities for about a year and had been on the police radar for the past two months. He procured the supply from a neighbouring country before coming to Kuantan to distribute to local customers."
"Checks revealed the suspect has 13 prior convictions for drug-related offences and had previously served sentences outside Pahang. This marks his first arrest in Pahang."
Hisam said initial investigations indicated the suspect operated independently and was responsible for smuggling drugs into the country and distributing them across various locations, including Pahang.
This seizure represents the largest haul in the state this year.
The suspect, who tested positive for methamphetamine, has been remanded until June 22 for further investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
