KUALA LUMPUR: Police busted a drug syndicate which disguised RM38,340 worth of liquid meth in flavoured water bottles to be distributed to the local market. Their cover was blown when the city narcotics department conducted two separate raids from July 31 to Aug 1 and arrested seven people, four of whom were men and three women aged between 20 and 28.
City Narcotics Department chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Abdullah Ishak said 246 bottles which contained drugs were seized during the raids conducted at Shamelin Perkasa in Cheras and Pandan Perdana in Ampang. He said a double-storey terrace house located in Pandan Indah which was rented by the syndicate since 10 months ago was used as storage for the bottles.
“They have been active since the past five months,” he said adding that 10 Ecstasy pills were also seized in the raid in Cheras. “They processed the drugs believed to be ketamine combined with Ecstasy into various flavoured water bottles such as ice lemon tea, Ribena, apple and orange juice,” he said at the Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters (IPKKL). Wan Abdullah added that the drugs were distributed to buyers for entertainment and private parties.
He said police had acted upon a two-week surveillance based on a tip-off adding that the suspects had used the modus operandi to avoid detection from the police. “The drugs were sold from RM70 to RM150 per bottle,” Wan Abdullah said. It is believed that the drugs were meant for the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor markets. “The suspects who work at a car accessory shop do not have any previous record and tested negative for drugs,” he said.