Chemical poison: Comm Noor Hisam (second from right) and other officers displaying the seized liquid methamphetamine during a press conference at Perak state police headquarters. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: A new drug trafficking modus operandi, involving the sale of liquid methamphetamine in bottles labelled as health and beauty drinks, has been uncovered in a police operation.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said a married couple was detained during the operation at a gas station in Canning Garden on March 20.
Acting on a tip-off, police arrested a 30-year-old man at a parcel delivery services counter in the petrol station after six bottles containing drugs were discovered.
The bottles were labelled as Kembali Dara, Ladies Collagen and Platinum Drink, he said.
“We believe this is a new modus operandi used by drug traffickers to avoid detection,” he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.
Police believe the male suspect was trying to ship the drugs to a customer abroad, he added.
Comm Noor Hisam said a follow-up investigation at the suspect’s home in Chemor led to the recovery of six more bottles containing drugs.
The total seizure was 37,331ml of liquid methamphetamine, worth an estimated RM1.2mil, he said.
“We also seized drugs packing equipment, a mobile phone and a car worth about RM40,000,” he said, adding that the drugs were repacked at the house before being sold locally and overseas.
Comm Noor Hisam said police were investigating the source of the drug.
He said the male suspect had previous drug-related cases, while his 29-year-old wife tested positive for Benzodiazepines depressant drugs.
He said the couple, both water filter salespersons, were believed to have sent the drugs abroad numerous times since June of last year.
He added that one of the suspects would be remanded until March 25, while the other would be remanded until March 27.