KULAI, Sept 24 — A factory fire in a large multinational industrial area in Senai here on September 14 has exposed an illicit drug processing and distributing syndicate that has international links.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the authorities were still investigating if the factory fire was accidental or a deliberately act.
He said that after the blaze, police and the Fire and Rescue Department found that the factory was being used as a drug processing laboratory.
“The inspection, conducted together with a federal police NCID team, found a large metal tray with 14 plastic containers containing powder suspected to be the psychotropic drug Erimin 5 weighing an estimated 75 kilogrammes.
“Authorities also recovered a box with three plastic containers containing suspected Erimin 5 pills (24.69kg) in addition to a precursor powder (79.016kg), barrels containing precursor liquid (1,827kg) with various drug processing paraphernalia and equipment,” Hussein told reporters at the Kulai district police headquarters here today.
He was commenting on the factory where police and firemen came across the suspected narcotics and various drug processing chemicals during the fire’s aftermath.
Based on information, Hussein said follow-up inspections were later carried out at houses in Seri Alam and Johor Bahru where a 41-year-old local man, believed to be the syndicate’s transporter, was arrested.
He said the arrest also led to the police raiding a factory in the Desa Idaman area in Senai on September 21 where various types of drugs were seized.
“The latest seizure included 10 bottles containing liquid suspected of being methamphetamine (250kg), a transparent plastic bag containing powder suspected of being ketamine (20kg), two sacks containing 24 plastic bottles of precursor powder (74kg), 89 plastic bottles containing precursor liquid (1,685) and various drug processing equipment,” he said.
During the raids, police also seized a Perodua Myvi, Honda Civic and Mercedes-Benz cars with a Bison lorry, with a total value of RM161,000.
Hussein said the total amount of narcotics seized was 4,034.71kg with an estimated market value of RM17.77 million that could potentially feed 1.8 million addicts.
He believed that the syndicate has been active since early February and the factory was used to process up to 1,000,000 Erimin 5 pills a day, as well as distributing them to the local market and those in neighboring countries.
“Based on investigations, the factory has been rented for the past two years and was registered under a factory license to produce technology products.
“Investigators are tracking down three other local male suspects, including two brothers who are in their 20s and are believed to be the masterminds of the syndicate.
“The sole suspect in custody has several previous drug cases and has been remanded for seven days starting from September 18 to assist investigations,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
