Uzbek woman held for selling drugs

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman from Uzbekistan who worked at a beauty salon here was arrested by police on Saturday on suspicion of being a drug dealer. She was arrested at the salon located on the first floor of a shopping complex in Bukit Bintang and police also seized five packets containing 2,280g of heroin worth some RM200,000 hidden in the premises.

Criminal Investigation Department chief ACP Kang Chez Chiang said that the 27-year-old woman was a divorcee and had a child back home in Uzbekistan.

He said the woman, who entered Malaysia on Nov 24 last year through Thailand, had been ordered by the Immigration Department to leave the country on Feb 16 for overstaying but ignored the order.

Police believed the drugs were brought from a neigbouring country and were supplied to clients of the salon who were mainly from the Middle East, he said, adding that police were also tracking down the owner of the salon, who is also from the Middle East.

On other matters, Kang said 296 people, including 47 women, were arrested for drug offences and an assortment of drugs were seized during city police's Ops Tapis dragnet held from Feb 22 until 28. - NST