Are drug trafficking syndicates using Perak as an entry point or transit route for ecstasy pills enroute to other destinations?

This is the poser facing the state police following the discovery last Tuesday of the largest quantity of ecstasy pills worth RM3.6 million in five years during a raid at a house in Felda Sungkai.

The Muallim District Narcotics CID police made a haul of 180,000 ecstasy pills or 20.3kg from the house.

In 2015, the police seized 3,246 tablets were seized before the figure dropped to 2,591 last year.

"Why are so many ecstasy pills found (seized) in Perak? Has the demand for these pills increased in Perak, or have addicts turned to other types of drugs?," Perak police deputy chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan asked at a press conference in the state police contingent headquarters here Thursday.

He said during the raid, the police also found syabu or methamphetamine weighing 8.70 grams and detained two men, both 35, to facilitate investigations.

"Both suspects are not Felda settlers but worked as supervisor and trader and tested positive for amphetamine," he added.

The suspects have been remanded for seven days, beginning April 11 and the case is investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

According to Hasnan, the pills are believed to have been imported from a neighbouring country for distribution to the addict population. -- BERNAMA