BUKIT MERTAJAM, Jan 29 – Penang police have launched an intensive investigation following the third discovery of an explosive item in a house in Kampung Tun Sardon here today. Penang CID Chief Datuk Mazlan Kesah said police were considering forming a special task force to probe the matter, as today’s discovery was the third such incident in the past week.
The hand grenade was found inside a rice sack in a house where a drug trafficking syndicate is believed to operate from. Two suspected drug traffickers were nabbed, including one who lived in the house with his wife and six children. “We will investigate how the explosive items are so easily obtained and if they are all from the same source. Initial investigations revealed that the three cases are not linked, but nevertheless, we will probe that angle.
“We are also looking at the pattern or current trend of drug trafficking syndicates using hand grenades as in the past they used guns,” Mazlan said. Six days ago, police found four hand grenades outside a house in Jalan Badak Mati, Sungai Bakap in South Seberang Prai. Four men aged between 24 and 43 were arrested following the discovery.
Two days ago, an odd job worker found a bag containing hand grenades and a few units of magazines as well as 76 live bullets, at a premises which used to be a hair salon in Jalan Tun Dr Awang, Bukit Jambul. Police believe the salon had doubled up as a drug processing lab.
