SHAH ALAM: Bukit Aman has thwarted an attempt to smuggle almost one tonne of fentanyl into Malaysia, in what is believed to be the country's first such case.
The dangerous synthetic drug, valued at RM30.7mil, was brought in through Port Klang by an international syndicate for both local distribution and the regional market.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the bust was made under Ops Black Ash during simultaneous raids in Negri Sembilan and Melaka on Aug 19.
"Three men – two foreigners and a local aged between 22 and 31 – were arrested.
"This is the first known attempt to smuggle fentanyl into Malaysia. The drugs weighed 961.8kg in total.
"Fentanyl is extremely dangerous, as it is over 100 times more potent than morphine or heroin.
"In the United States and Canada, fentanyl overdoses are among the leading causes of death," he told a press conference at Selangor police headquarters here on Tuesday (Sept 23).
Comm Hussein said the syndicate had disguised the shipment with false cargo declarations before splitting it into two consignments meant for different groups.
"The drugs were in both liquid and powder form.
"The powder is turned into pills while the liquid is used as an additive for e-cigarettes and vape liquids," he added.
He said that Ops Black Ash was part of a wider series of special operations, which also included Ops Black Wood, Ops Ceylon, Ops Blackbutt, Ops Black Birch and Ops Cengal, conducted since last month.
In Ops Black Wood on Aug 23, over 75kg of assorted drugs worth RM2.7mil were seized while three locals and two foreigners were arrested, he added.
"In Ops Ceylon conducted on Sept 7 in the Klang Valley and Muar, Johor, we seized 132.86kg of drugs worth RM3.3mil, with seven suspects arrested.
"Two days later, further intelligence gathering led us to detain three local men in Selangor in Ops Blackbutt, where 202.59kg of methamphetamine worth RM6.76mil was seized on Sept 9.
"The following day, Ops Black Birch in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, saw two local men detained and 103.33kg of methamphetamine seized, valued at RM3.32mil," he said.
The final raid, Ops Cengal, was conducted on Sept 12.
"We detained three local men and a local woman, seizing 230.67kg of methamphetamine worth RM7.4mil," Comm Hussein said.
In total, the six operations resulted in 24 arrests – 17 local men, two foreign men, four foreign women, and one local woman – aged between 19 and 55, he said.
"Some 1.7 tonnes of drugs worth RM54.18mil wee seized," he added.
Comm Hussein said the operations were the result of months of intelligence gathering and international cooperation.
"Some of these syndicates have only been active for two months, while others have been operating for nearly a year.
"These busts have exposed extensive smuggling and distribution networks.
"We will continue to work with our international counterparts and the public to fight drug trafficking," he said, adding that the NCID will not compromise on efforts to keep Malaysia safe.
He urged anyone with information on drug-related activities to contact the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222.
