The Johor Customs Department has dismantled a syndicate believed to be operating a ketum water processing laboratory out of a rented factory in Taman Kempas Utama, with total seizures amounting to RM76,796.
Johor Customs director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the raid was conducted at 9.30pm on Feb 27 following intelligence gathered by the Customs COBRA team and the Southern Zone Intelligence Branch.
During the operation, authorities detained three individuals comprising a male suspected manager and two Indonesian women workers aged between 28 and 35.
He said initial investigations suggest the syndicate had been operating for around three years and sourcing ketum leaves from Kedah.
The processed ketum drink was reportedly sold to regular local customers at about RM16 per 1.5-litre bottle.
Authorities seized 442.9kg of ketum leaves and 1,642.5 litres of ketum water, along with cooking equipment including gas cylinders, pots and stoves, with additional items valued at RM66,991.
A separate raid was also carried out at a house in Kampung Kempas Denai, located about two kilometres from the factory, believed to be used as a distribution point.
In that location, enforcement officers uncovered 103kg of ketum leaves and 189.5 litres of ketum water worth RM9,805.
All confiscated items have been sent to the Department of Chemistry for analysis, while investigations are ongoing to determine whether the syndicate was involved in cross-border distribution.
The case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.
