Cops bust ketum processing facility in Kota Marudu

Supt Zairolnizal (right) and his men with the seized ketum water and other items.

KOTA KINABALU: A house in Sabah’s northern Kota Marudu district, some 130km from here, was found to be used as a makeshift processing facility for ketum water.

Police made the discovery after raiding the house at Kampung Ongkilan, about 10km from the town, on Monday (March 11).

Kota Marudu OCPD Supt Zairolnizal Ishak said his men from the district Criminal Investigation Department stormed the house at about 10pm following a public tip-off.

He said they found 19 plastic bags containing greenish powder believed to be ground-up ketum and 18 mineral water plastic bottles containing brownish liquid believed to be ketum water.

They also seized paraphernalia worth some RM400 used to process and produce ketum water.

“We detained a 36-year-old man, the house owner, to facilitate investigations,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (March 12).

Supt Zairolnizal said they were still checking to see where the suspect obtained the ketum powder and how it was brought into the district.

“We believe what we found was only meant for local consumption in the district,” he said.

The suspect has been remanded for four days under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for investigation under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, he added.

He said the man faced up to five years in jail or a fine not more than RM100,000, or both, if found guilty.