RESIDENTS of the Sri Ampang apartments in Jalan Sulaiman used the community policing programme to voice their concerns over activities like drug abuse and snatch thefts in their area. Among their concerns were the suspicious behaviour of an Iranian youth living in an apartment, who they believed was a drug addict and a drug pusher.

On Tuesday at 4.30pm, narcotics officers from Ampang Jaya district police headquarters went to the apartments where they spotted two youths on the ninth floor. Ampang Jaya district deputy police chief Supt Amiruddin Jamaluddin said police watched the two youths, a 16-year-old Iranian and 22-yearold Pakistani, walk to a flower pot and pull out a plant and putting it into a plastic bag.

Police believed they were harvesting ganja leaves. The flower pots were in front of the apartment where the Iranian stayed with his family. But when they saw the police, they threw the plastic bag to the ground and ran, but were nabbed.

“Police searched the Iranian and found two packets of syabu in his trouser pocket. Two packets of ganja were found on the Pakistani,” Amiruddin said. Following the arrests, police searched the apartment of the Iranian and found eight packets of ganja, and 2kg of syabu worth about RM700,000. About RM800,000 in cash and jewellery were also found in the apartment.

“Initial investigations showed that the jobless Iranian did not possess any personal documents and had been living there with his family since 2004. The Pakistani suspect had entered Malaysia legally in 2004 using a visitors pass,” he said. Both suspects have been remanded until July 7. If convicted, the duo will face the death penalty.