KUALA LUMPUR: Police have seized 206.2kg of daun ketum juice and leaves with the arrest of a man at a plant nursery in Batu 5 Jinjang Utara.
Sentul OCPD Asst Comm R. Munusamy said the 28-year-old suspect from Batu Kurau, Perak, was detained in an operation that was conducted between 2pm and 4.30pm here the other day.
“So far, only this man was arrested but we believe that there is more than one suspect. Investigations have revealed that the man works as a security guard and had taken a two-week medical leave as an excuse to process the juice.
“We are also investigating where the leaves came from. When we moved in, we found that some of the ketum leaves had just been processed,” he told reporters at a press conference on Sunday.
ACP Munusamy added that the supply – 165kg of ketum juice, 20.6kg dried ketum leaves and 6.5kg of processed ketum – was believed to be meant for local consumption.
“The worth of the juice alone is about RM1,650. We are still determining the value of the dried leaves,” he said.
Investigation found that a packet of the juice is sold for RM10 each.
The man is being remanded until Tuesday to facilitate the investigation.
The case is being probed under under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952 for possession of ketum juice.
Under Section 30(3) of the Act, the punishment if found guilty is up to four years jail or a fine of up to RM10,000, or both.
