Man-made poison: Comm Hussein (left) displaying some of the seized drugs during a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam. — KK SHAM/The Star
SHAH ALAM: Nearly a tonne of fentanyl – a drug described as 100 times more potent than morphine or heroin – was brought into Malaysia by an international syndicate.
However, Bukit Aman smashed the ring before it could distribute the drugs here after raids in Negri Sembilan and Melaka.
It is the first case of fentanyl – also known as the “zombie drug” – being seized by police within the country and meant for the local and regional market.
It had previously been detected in Malaysia, namely the Klang Valley and Johor, through sewage analysis. A seizure was also done at the KLIA Cargo complex in 2023.
The dangerous synthetic drug, valued at RM30.7mil, was brought in through Port Klang by the syndicate for distribution here and around the region.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the bust was made under Ops Black Ash 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. In the United States and Canada, fentanyl overdose is among the leading causes of death,” he told reporters during a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters yesterday.
In the United States alone, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 fentanyl deaths every year.
“The drugs were processed 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,” Comm Hussein said.
He said the syndicate had disguised the shipment with false cargo declarations before splitting it into two consignments meant for different groups.
Ops Black Ash, he said, was part of a series of special operations, which also included Ops Black Wood, Ops Ceylon, Ops Blackbutt, Ops Black Birch and Ops Cengal, conducted since last month.
Several other seizures were made, including Ops Black Wood on Aug 23 where 75.09kg of various drugs worth RM2.7mil were seized, with three locals and two foreign women arrested.
“On Ops Ceylon conducted on Sept 7 in the Klang Valley and Muar in Johor, we seized 132.86kg of drugs worth RM3.3mil, with seven suspects arrested.
“Two days later, we detained three local men in Selangor in Ops Blackbutt where 202.59kg of methamphetamine worth RM6.76mil were seized.
“The following day, Ops Black Birch in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, saw two local men being detained and 103.33kg of methamphetamine valued at RM3.32mil seized,” 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,” said Comm Hussein.
“In total, the six operations resulted in 24 arrests – 17 local men, two foreign men, four foreign women and one local woman who were aged between 19 and 55.
“Some 1.7 tonnes of drugs worth RM54.18mil were seized,” he said.
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 expose the extensive smuggling and distribution networks. We will continue to work with our international counterparts and the public to fight drug trafficking,” he said.
Comm Hussein urged the public with information on drug-related activities to contact the NCID hotline at 012-208 7222.
