Pubdate: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 Source: Star, The (Malaysia) Copyright: 2004 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. Contact: http://www.thestar.com.my Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/922 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) 83 DRUG TRAFFICKERS BANISHED, PROPERTY WORTH RM1.6M SEIZED PENANG: Eighty-three traffickers have been arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special preventive laws) 1952 in the state in the first nine months this year and were banished, state CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said yesterday. "The police also seized more than RM1.6mil worth of property comprising houses, jewellery and vehicles, which were bought using money obtained from the sale of illicit drugs, from the traffickers. He added: "A total of 406 drug pushers and traffickers were also charged under Section 39A and Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 during the same period." Later, he witnessed the incineration of drugs accumulated over the past five years at the Penang Municipal Council's incineration plant in Jalan Gurdwara. SAC Syed Ismail said these drugs exhibits, which were seized between 1999 and 2004, were from 978 cases which had been settled in court. He said between January and September this year, the department seized more than 173kg of ganja, heroin (49kg), opium (45kg), syabu (1kg) and 22,297 psychotropic pills. "Drug addicts numbering 5,680 were also rounded up during this period. Most of them had since been put under police supervision or sent to the various drug rehabilitation centres," he said. SAC Syed Ismail said there would be no let-up in the anti-drug operations, adding that the police were working with other government agencies to rid the state of drugs. "Among the high profile cases were the seizures of 11 pistols with 407 rounds of ammunition after the state narcotics department busted five major drug laboratories in the state last year," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D