Penang: Police have successfully dismantled a methamphetamine processing laboratory in a durian orchard, on Jalan Teluk Bahang, here, run by an international drug trafficking syndicate after arresting three foreign men and seizing 1.2 tonnes of various types of drugs worth RM38 million in a series of raids in Penang on Saturday and Sunday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan stated that a Bukit Aman NCID team, based on intelligence information, raided a unit in a condominium on Jalan Gurdwara, George Town. They arrested three foreign men aged 32 to 38, who are believed to be from an Asian country. During this raid, a 27-year-old local man attempted to escape but tragically fell from the 5th floor, resulting in his death at the scene. The police discovered 26 kilogrammes of methamphetamine along with various drug packaging equipment.
Further actions led the police to raid a business premises in Taman Windmill on Jalan Gurdwara, where they seized 474 kg of methamphetamine. This location is believed to have been used by the syndicate to store and package drugs before distribution. Additionally, the police raided a durian orchard about 1 kilometre from the main road and successfully dismantled a large-scale methamphetamine processing laboratory, seizing 60 kg of methamphetamine powder, 54 kg of suspected methamphetamine crystals, 574 kg of methamphetamine liquid, and various drug processing equipment.
Hussein revealed that the methamphetamine seized totaled 1.2 tonnes with a market value of RM38 million, capable of supplying six million drug addicts. Investigations indicate that the syndicate had been operating since August, with the arrested individuals acting as chemists brought into the country specifically to process syabu.
The local individual involved coordinated the location, processing activities, and logistics for the chemists, under the direction of a syndicate leader from an Asian country. The syndicate had fortified the 32-acre durian orchard with a three-layer fence, rented since September for RM80,000 annually, and equipped with CCTV cameras and an illegal electrical connection.
The international syndicate imported chemicals and equipment for syabu processing into Malaysia, using the country as a processing hub before distributing the illicit substance locally and abroad. Hussein explained that instructions for all activities, including distribution and delivery of drug supplies and chemicals, were given by the syndicate leader from abroad.
Malaysia has been turned into a hub for processing syabu, with the syndicate employing various methods to produce the drug in liquid, powder, and crystal forms. Authorities also uncovered a new tactic of dissolving syabu into sheets of fabric to be sent via international courier companies, to evade detection.
Hussein noted that seven parcels, each weighing two kilogrammes, had been sent to Australia and Hong Kong. The recipients reportedly used special materials to extract the dissolved syabu from the fabric sheets.
Following the arrests, police also seized a four-wheel drive, a forklift, a Toyota Vios, and an ATV, all valued at RM181,000. Three of the arrested individuals tested positive for syabu, and one had a criminal record in his home country. They are currently remanded for seven days until Dec 27, with the case being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.