Police took down an international drug syndicate with the seizure of RM44 million worth of ketamine and syabu in three raids on Tuesday. The seizure was the biggest this year. Thirteen suspects were arrested, including a foreign chemist.

The seizure included 250kg of various other drugs with a street value of RM500,000, six vehicles and drug-related paraphernalia. Police also shut down operations of two drug processing laboratories.

In a joint operation between Federal Narcotic officers and Johor police, 13 suspects aged between 20 and 60, including six Mexicans, a Canadian and four Singaporeans were arrested. The remaining two are locals.

Federal police Narcotic Department director Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharudin said after collecting sufficient intelligence on the syndicate's operations and mounting surveillance on their activities, a police party stormed at 3.10pm that Tuesday afternoon a Taman Pelangi house located in a secluded area that did not arouse suspicions of neighbours.

Investigations revealed that the house was used as a laboratory to process ketamine. Police arrested five foreigners in the premises including two Singaporeans aged 54 and 29, a Canadian aged 29 and two Mexicans aged 36 and 26. They also seized 45.8kg of Ketamine, various chemicals and also drug related paraphernalia at the premises.
In follow up raids, another police party consisting of detectives from the Federal police Narcotics department, entered a factory in Taman Desa located in the Senai Industrial Park here that had been transformed into a mega laboratory to process Syabu (methamphetamine or also commonly known and internationally referred as Crystal or meth).

Police found 215kg of syabu in liquidised form, various chemicals used in processing the drug and drug-related paraphernalia. They arrested a Singaporean, a Malaysian and three Mexican, aged between 26 and 60.

Another police party went to a hotel in Johor Baru where another Singaporean was picked up. He is believed to be one of the syndicate members. The remaining two syndicate members, a Mexican and a Malaysian, were picked up at Jalan Utama in Kampung Melayu Majidee here.

Police also seized the alleged syndicate members' vehicles that included a Honda MPV, a Honda City, a Mitsubishi Storm and a Proton Wira. Two of the vehicles were Singapore-registered while the rest were locally registered.

All 13 suspects have been remanded for five days until March 10. Suspects face the mandatory death penalty if convicted.

Zulhasnan said the foreigners entered the country legally on social visit passes two weeks ago. Police investigations revealed that the syndicate used Johor as their base to manufacture the drugs, using a Mexican recipe. It is believed the drugs were to be trafficked overseas.

source: The New Straits Times