Manhunt for cop with missing RM1m syabu'

Deputy Superintendent Kalawant Singh issuing a notice to record a statement from NST reporter Jassmine Shadiqe.

• NST Editorial: Betrayed by protectors
• Missing drugs not worth RM1 mln, says Johor Police Chief

JOHOR BARU: At least three policemen have been identified as culprits behind the theft of RM1 million worth of syabu from the Johor police headquarters last week.

Two of them are in custody while a manhunt is on for the third suspect who is believed to be in possession of the drugs.

The New Straits Times learnt that the stolen drugs, part of a RM48 million haul by the police in March, was bound for the streets.

The policemen were planning to sell the drugs when the theft was discovered and immediate action was taken to identify the suspects.

At press time, a large-scale operation was on to nab the third suspect and retrieve the drugs.

Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff is expected to hold a press conference later today.

Earlier the Johor police chief refused to comment on the case which was kept under wraps for several days until it was exposed by the NST in a front page report yesterday.

A grim-looking Mohd Mokhtar was followed from the state police headquarters to Kota Tinggi by hordes of reporters, but he declined to comment.

The report stated that the drugs were stolen from the Johor police headquarters after thieves used acid to melt the padlock to the storage room.

A police report was lodged on the theft following which more than 60 police personnel, who were on duty at the time of the break-in, were screened for drug abuse.

One policeman reportedly tested positive and it is now learnt that he is one of the two suspects in custody.

All three suspects are believed to be general duty policemen.

The drugs were seized from an international syndicate which had been operating in at least three locations in Johor Baru. The RM48 million haul was said to be the biggest in recent years.

In the operation in March, police arrested 12 suspects, including three Singaporeans and a Thai woman.

They were involved in the manufacturing of the drugs at two makeshift laboratories. The drugs were meant for the foreign market.

The theft had raised serious concerns as it could have jeopardised the trial of the 12, but it is learnt that police have sufficient evidence to continue with the case.

At least two other similar cases of theft of evidence had occurred previously.

One was at the Kota Baru district police headquarters where 1,000 psychotropic pills, 7g of heroin and 400ml of cough mixture worth RM40,000 were stolen.

Earlier 60,000 psychotropic pills worth almost RM1 million were found missing from a vault at the Selangor police headquarters.

-TMB