Trio from big drug ring held

PENANG: Police have arrested three men believed to be among the main members a big drug syndicate operating in the northern and central regions of Malaysia.

State Narcotics Department chief Supt S. Batumalai said the men, aged between 32 and 37, were arrested in two places, and 3.2kg of heroin No. 3 with a street value of nearly RM300,000 was seized from them.

"We believe the syndicate has been in operation in the region for the past six to seven months and was supplying heroin to Kedah, Penang and Perak and even the Klang Valley," he told reporters in his office yesterday.

He said information obtained from the three suspects might help police to close on the syndicate's mastermind, who is believed to be hiding in a neighbouring state.

Batumalai said the first suspect is a 32-year-old security guard arrested at about 8.30pm on April 27 while waiting for a buyer at the Queensbay Mall car park in Bayan Baru.

"We found 900gm of heroin No. 3 with RM80,000 in his possession," he said. "He has been charged under Section 39(B) of the 1952 Dangerous Drug Act.

"The other two, aged 35 and 37, were arrested at a hotel in Prai last Thursday in a raid jointly conducted by the state and Bukit Aman narcotics division.

"The success was due to a tip-off and both suspects were arrested during the raid at 6.15pm in a hotel room as they were waiting for their prospective buyers."

Police seized 2.3kg of heroin No. 3 worth RM200,000 from the duo. They also seized a motorcycle belonging to one of the suspects.

Batumalai said the syndicate is believed to be supplying heroin to hardcore addicts who used the syringe and sometimes the "smoke-chasing" technique - sniffing the vapour of heated heroin.

He said the suspects are under remand and are expected to be charged soon. - By Mohd Tajudin

Source: The Sun newspaper

Man loses car to con man with sob story

A RESTAURANT owner was taken in by a sob story and lent his car to a man he had met only four hours earlier.

L. Vijayakumar, 43, said he was approached by the man, who claimed to be a businessman in the information technology field, at his restaurant in Brickfield in January. The man pleaded to borrow his white Proton Iswara.

The man said he needed to use the car to transport computers from Malacca because his car had been damaged in a flood in Johor.

Feeling sorry for the man, who introduced himself as A. Nagarajah, 27, from Negeri Sembilan, Vijayakumar agreed to lend his car for two days from Jan 17.

Nagarajah left his contact number and what he said were his mother's and girlfriend's contact numbers with Vijayakumar. He even left a photocopy of his identity card.

Vijayakumar called Nagarajah two days later, but the man asked to keep the car for another eight days.

"I was afraid that if I didn't agree, he would not return my car," said Vijayakumar.

"But after that, I could no longer contact him. I tried calling his mother. Imagine my horror when the woman accused Nagarajah of stealing her jewellery and advised me to make a police report."

Vijayakumar lodged a report a Brickfields police station. He also checked the records on Nagarajah at Jalan Bandar traffic police headquarters.

"I was shocked to find that the man had more than 20 traffic summonses and an arrest warrant under his name."

Vijayakumar said following the incident, he is unable to claim his car's insurance and faces difficulty carrying out his restaurant business. - By KALBANA PERIMBANAYAGAM

Source: Malay Mail newspaper

Sisters kidnapped and forced into sex trade

KLANG: Two underage sisters will never forget March 29, a date that has been search into their memory for life.

Their ordeal began at 8.30pm that night when they were abducted outside their home here by several men and taken on a terror ride that changed their lives forever.

They were taken to a double-storey house here and raped by their captors. The next morning, the secondary students were forced into prostitution. For the next 45 days, they had sex with scores of customers at all hours of the day.

They could not escape as they were under the watchful eyes of their kidnappers. Their chance to flee came on Friday when their captors went out, leaving them alone in the house.
It is understood that the sisters opened the door and walked out to freedom - but they did not know where they were.

So, they hid in bushes near the house, waiting for cars to come by.

A passer-by discovered them the next morning and sent them to district police headquarters where their statements were recorded. Police then sent them to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital for a medical examination.

Selangor assistant CID chief ACP Chee Cheng Wan confirmed the incident. It is learnt that police believe the suspects were locals and are trying to identify them.

Source: NST newspaper