Police crippled two drug laboratories linked to an international syndicate following the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of 3.58 tonnes of synthetic MDMA worth RM598.9 million during “Ops Pine” in the Klang Valley on September 10.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the syndicate, believed to have been active since July, had been using industrial premises to process drugs for local and international markets.
The first two raids, carried out at separate premises in the Kepong Industrial Area, uncovered large quantities of chemicals and drug-processing equipment. Three suspects – including a “drug cook” – were arrested.
“In the first raid, police arrested three male suspects and seized 136 barrels and one plastic container containing suspected MDMA liquid weighing 3,330kg, 563 bottles of chemicals weighing 1,200kg, and 213.7kg of chemical powder.
“The second raid yielded two plastic packets and one barrel of MDMA weighing 25.3kg, 10 barrels of MDMA liquid, 947.35kg of chemical liquid, 52.4kg of chemical powder, and laboratory equipment,” he said at a press conference today.
In a third raid on a house in Taman Templer, Selangor, police arrested a local man believed to be a drug courier, although no illegal substances were found on the premises.
According to Mohd Khalid, the three suspects arrested in the first raid acted as the coordinator, the “drug cook,” and an assistant.
He added that initial investigations revealed the syndicate had been selling processed MDMA locally and smuggling it abroad, including to Indonesia and Australia.
“We’ve only been investigating for a week, so there’s still much to uncover. We haven’t determined who actually leads the group of four suspects.
“As mentioned, this is part of an international network. We’re gathering more information and awaiting confirmation from several countries. What’s certain is that the processing is done in our country, while neighbouring countries – especially Australia and Indonesia – are the main distribution destinations,” he said.
All suspects, aged between their 30s and 50s, are being held under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Police also seized various equipment and vehicles valued at RM336,224, including a Toyota Vellfire, Caldina Unser, Proton X70, Mazda 6, RM2,000 cash, a ring, and gold coins.
