Prison drug racket exposed, civil servant among seven nabbed in JB

JOHOR BARU: A civil servant is among seven people arrested for allegedly trafficking drugs into the Johor Baru Correctional Centre in Ulu Choh, says Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

He added that police discovered the syndicate’s activities after a man on trial for a drug case in the court complex here was found with nine small, tightly-wrapped tubes filled with drugs hidden in his underwear at about 10.30am on Thursday (Dec 15).

“We believe the man also swallowed some of the tubes while inside the complex,” he told the media at the state police headquarters here on Tuesday (Dec 20).

Comm Kamarul Zaman said the man was then sent to a hospital and underwent an operation in which six tubes were removed from his stomach.

Following the man’s arrest, police carried out five raids around Johor Baru, leading to the arrest of six suspects including three women, all aged between 25 and 37 years old.

“One of the men we arrested is a civil servant. The drugs are believed to have been given to the prisoner in the complex at some point in his being transported to or from the prison.

“The drugs were meant to be supplied to other inmates,” he said, adding that two suspects tested positive for drugs while three of them have criminal records for drug offences.

Comm Kamarul Zaman said police also seized 44.7g of ganja worth RM2,237 and 28.8g of syabu worth RM2,884, as well as RM3,800 in cash, from the suspects.

He added that all the suspects had been remanded to help with the probe under Section 39A(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Police believe the syndicate has other members still at large and are in the process of tracking them down.