Police have dismantled an international drug syndicate following a major raid on a luxury bungalow in Ipoh, seizing methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy) worth an estimated RM37.3 million.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the operation was carried out on January 16 after police received intelligence on drug trafficking activities believed to be coordinated by foreign nationals.
Acting on the information, police raided a bungalow in the Ipoh area and arrested two local men suspected of being involved in drug distribution.
A search of the premises led to the discovery of 843.33kg of methamphetamine, 679.22kg of liquid and powdered chemical substances, as well as equipment used for drug processing.
Further inspection of the surrounding parking area uncovered 618.24kg of cement-based material. Laboratory analysis later confirmed the cement contained MDMA.
Hussein said this was the first known case of drugs being concealed in cement, adding that the syndicate had developed a method to extract the powdered drugs from the material.
The total drugs seized are estimated to be worth RM37.3 million and could supply up to 8.4 million users.
The two suspects, both in their early 30s, were found to have prior criminal records and tested positive for methamphetamine. They have been remanded for 13 days until January 29 to assist with investigations.
Police are also tracking a Chinese national believed to be linked to the syndicate, with help from the Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau. Records showed the suspect had entered and exited Malaysia five times, with the last movement recorded in August 2025, and had four previous drug-related cases in Hong Kong.
Investigations revealed the syndicate had been operating since December 2024, using foreign nationals as coordinators and renting luxury homes as storage and processing sites before distributing drugs locally and overseas.
Police believe the chemical substances were smuggled in from abroad, similar to previous cases uncovered in the Klang Valley and Penang. The syndicate is also believed to have rotated foreign drug chemists, who stayed in Malaysia for about three months at a time.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, and whipping upon conviction.
