JOHOR BARU: Police have dismantled a syndicate that used a car as a drop point to distribute drug-laced vape cartridges.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said two men, aged 25 and 38, were arrested in two separate raids around Johor Baru at 1.35am on Jan 29.
“A local man was arrested in front of a bank in Taman Mount Austin.
"Further inspection at a house in Taman Setia Indah led to the discovery of 3,200 units of vape cartridges, suspected of containing 11.20 litres of ketamine liquid, and 48 packets of ecstasy powder worth some RM970,000.
“A Singaporean man was detained in the second raid in Taman Molek. However, no illegal items were found on him,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Police Headquarters here on Tuesday (Feb 3).
He said a car and cash amounting to RM136,850 were also seized during the raid.
He added that both suspects have been remanded for seven days until Feb 4 for investigation.
They both tested negative for drugs and had no prior criminal records, he added.
Comm Ab Rahaman said the first suspect acted as a distributor, while the second was believed to manage the syndicate’s finances.
“The syndicate is believed to have been active since December last year.
"Their modus operandi involved using a house as a storage facility and employing runners who used the drop point method at designated locations for customers or agents to collect the drugs," he said.
He added that each vape cartridge containing 3.4ml of ketamine was sold by the syndicate at RM300.
He added that the total drugs seized could feed up to 6,400 addicts.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
If convicted, offenders face the death penalty or life imprisonment and not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.
Comm Ab Rahaman stressed that the sale of vape cartridges containing drug-laced liquids is a worrying trend, especially if marketed to teenagers.
