SANDAKAN: District police busted a ketum water processing operation masterminded by a man, last Friday.
According to Sandakan Deputy Chief of Police, Supt K. Ramasamy, the 42-year-old suspect was arrested at around noon while brewing ketum water at his home in Taman Tai Fai Yen.
Police also confiscated ketum powder, its processing and storage equipment as well as electronic cigarette liquid suspected of containing drugs worth RM25,230.
“The suspect is an odd job worker born in the Peninsula and lives with his wife and five children in the house.
“A urine test for drugs on the suspect returned negative. The suspect has five previous records of cases under the Dangerous Drugs Act and the Poisons Act 1952,” he said, Sunday.
K. Ramasamy said initial investigation found that the suspect had been processing ketum for the past two years and had been arrested several times for the same offence.
“The modus operandi of the suspect was to carry out the activity of processing and selling ketum water to regular customers by disguising himself as a food delivery rider to avoid police detection.
“The police are also in the process of tracking suppliers involved in the distribution of ketum powder and the electronic cigarette liquid,” he said.
K. Ramasamy said the case is investigated under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.
He added that the police would continue to increase efforts in gathering intelligence to suppress drug addiction and trafficking in the district.
