KUALA LUMPUR: Police have dismantled a fentanyl drug trafficking syndicate, which also processed the drug as a liquid to be filled into vape cartridges, following raids in Puchong and Cheras here last week.
In the raids, various types of drugs worth RM31.57 million, including approximately 400 vape cartridges containing the liquid, were seized.
The Director of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN), Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, said that fentanyl, also known as the ‘zombie drug’, is believed to have been smuggled in through states in the northern part of the country.
He said the raids were conducted at a workshop in Puchong and a house in Cheras, and also led to the arrest of two local men, aged 31 and 33.
"In the operation, police seized 400 vape cartridges containing fentanyl liquid, 612.12 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 6.4 kilograms of Erimin 5 pills.
“All the drugs seized are estimated to be worth RM31.57 million,” he said at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent Headquarters today.
Hussein said one of the suspects worked as a deliveryman, while the other acted as a storage keeper for the syndicate.
"Investigations found that this syndicate has been active since the beginning of this year and used the modus operandi of leaving vehicles containing drugs at specific locations.
“The buyer would collect the vehicle, store the drugs, and then return it to the original location,” he said.
He said the syndicate also used this country as a packaging location for vapes containing fentanyl.
"We believe they were in the process of testing the market by distributing these vapes to local drug trafficking groups and entertainment premises.
“So far, we have not been able to confirm whether the drug has been widely distributed in the local market,” he said.
“We have succeeded in thwarting the latest attempt to distribute this drug and will continue to hunt down the remaining syndicate members to identify their network,” he said.
He did not rule out the possibility that the fentanyl was smuggled from the Golden Triangle region.
He said the total amount of drugs seized was believed to be enough to supply up to 3.12 million addicts.
In the same operation, police also seized assets belonging to the same syndicate worth RM432,000, including three vehicles and RM15,000 in cash.
Both suspects have been remanded until April 19 and April 22, respectively, to assist with the investigation.