Johor Police Bust RM16.4 Mln Drug Lab, Vape Syndicate

ISKANDAR PUTERI, May 22 (Bernama) -- Johor police have busted a drug trafficking syndicate following the discovery of an illegal laboratory and a vape cartridge processing centre containing drugs worth RM16.4 million in three separate raids around Iskandar Puteri and Johor Bahru on May 18.

Johor acting police chief DCP Hoo Chuan Huat said that in the 5.30 pm operation, four suspects, including two foreign nationals aged between 27 and 60, were arrested following intelligence from the Johor police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and the Iskandar Puteri district Narcotics Crime Investigation Division.

He said the first raid at a shop house in Taman Melawati uncovered an illegal laboratory, where officers seized 17 containers of liquid suspected to be methamphetamine (91.28 litres) worth RM13.69 million, a large plastic bag of chemical precursors believed to be etomidate (6.15kg) worth RM922,800, as well as various drug-processing equipment.

“During the second raid at a shop house in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, which also served as the suspects’ residence, police uncovered a centre used to process drug-laced vape cartridges. Police seized six plastic bottles and 32 cartridges containing liquid suspected to be methamphetamine (3.48 litres), worth RM522,000, as well as nine containers of the chemical etomidate (8.46kg), worth RM1.269 million,” he said at a press conference at the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters today.

Also seized in the second raid were two machines, along with various equipment and chemicals used to process the liquid for the vape cartridges.

Hoo said a third raid was then carried out in Taman Mutiara Mas, where a 60-year-old local man believed to be the syndicate’s mastermind and financier was arrested.

He said two of the foreign suspects acted as ‘chemists’ processing the substances, while the first suspect served as a runner for the syndicate, which was found to have been active since early January this year and targeting the local market, adding that the drugs seized could have been enough to harm up to 120,649 users.

He added that action was also taken under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, including the seizure of three luxury cars and cash in ringgit and Singapore dollars, totalling RM182,187.

The assets seized include a Honda Accord valued at RM30,500, a Mercedes worth RM46,000 and a Volkswagen Passat worth RM26,000, along with RM49,400 in cash and S$9,770 (RM30,287), bringing the total value of seizures and assets confiscated to RM16.58 million.

All suspects have been remanded for seven days until May 25 to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

He said preliminary urine tests also found two of the suspects positive for methamphetamine, adding that further checks revealed that the other two have prior offences under the Common Gambling Houses Act 1953.

Members of the public with information on drug-related activities are urged to contact the JSJN hotline at 012-2087222.

-- BERNAMA