Cops raid major drug lab during coordinated operation over three states

Police with the drugs seized during the raid on the laboratory.

IPOH: The police raided a drug laboratory located within a shophouse in Jelapang here and seized over RM620,000 worth of drugs during a coordinated operation in three states.

Perak police chief Comm Datuk Hasnan Hassan said they also arrested eight syndicate members during a series of raids in Selangor, Negri Sembilan and here on Wednesday (Jan 17) from 12.30pm to 11pm.

“The laboratory was found at the top floor of the double-storey building.

“We’ve seized 2.67kg of heroin base, 3.42kg of heroin no. 3, 30kg of ganja and 56.9kg of caffeine,” he said in a press conference Thursday (Jan 18).

“We believe they have been operating there for about two months,” he said, adding that the raids were conducted by the national narcotics unit, Bukit Aman’s Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group and Perak’s narcotics department.

He said other items seized included equipments used to process drugs, three cars, three motorcycles, one four-wheel drive and RM1,700 cash.

“The total value of the seized drugs is about RM1.03mil,” he said.

Comm Hasnan said those arrested included six local men, one woman and a Sri Lankan national aged between 22 and 47.

Of the eight, four men and one woman were nabbed in Ipoh, while three other - including the Sri Lankan - were caught in Damansara.

“We’ve also arrested the syndicate’s mastermind. We are now looking for its other members.

“Seven of the suspects have previous criminal records for drug-related offences,” he said, adding that all tested negative for drugs.

“They will be remanded until Jan 23 to be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries the mandatory death sentence if convicted,” he added.