JOHOR BARU, Aug 23 — Two civil servants were among nine men arrested by police after they were believed to be have been involved in ketum water processing activities, in a raid on a hut near a block of flats in Taman Rinting, here, yesterday.

Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department chief ACP Mohd Afzanizam Yahaya said all the men, aged between 22 and 57, were arrested at 4.45pm, as a result of public information and police intelligence.

He said police also confiscated five kilogrammes of ketum leaves stashed in a car parked near the hut.

"We also inspected a store in the same block and found 16.40 litres of ketum water stored in a large ice container and while inspecting a house in the block, we found cooking utensils believed to be used to process ketum water,” he said in a statement tonight.

Mohd Afzanizam said investigations found that the they had been operating for about a year now.

He said all the men tested negative for drugs and all of them have been remanded for three days starting today for investigation according to Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952. — Bernama