KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The Royal Malaysian Police Force (PDRM) today warned against the sale of drug-infused liquids used in electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, as doing so is illegal and could land those who sell or even promote its use in trouble with the law.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said in a statement that promoting, bidding or selling the liquid containing a banned substance is an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“PDRM would like to warn any party that tries to promote, bid on or sell flavoured liquids that contain any kind of drug and banned substance that is against the law, to be used in e-cigarettes, can be charged under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” Mokhtar said in a statement today.

He also encouraged the public to step forward with any information should they come across retailers selling drug-flavoured e-cigarette liquid refills.

According to local broadcaster Astro Awani, the NCID director also said on Monday that a special police investigation team will be formed to probe the sale and usage of marijuana-flavoured e-cigarettes.

This comes after an official with the National Anti-Drug Agency told local news portal The Rakyat Post last Tuesday that there is growing concern about e-cigarette users refilling their devices with liquid marijuana, liquid ketamine, poppy extracts or even ketum juice.

“Vapers use liquid e-flavours and some of these are masked with aromatic scents. Whether the scent is for the environment or to throw us off the track remains to be seen,” the official was quoted as saying, using the term “vape” which is the action of inhaling or exhaling vapour produced by an e-cigarette or similar devices.

According to a Reuters report on June 10, e-cigarettes, which heat nicotine-laced liquid into vapour, have ignited a global market for “vaping” products that has since gained popularity this year.

In the absence of definitive studies about the long-term health effects of vaping, it is the subject of great debate, the Reuters report added.

Earlier in May, however, the newswire reported that public health officials have warned for several years of the attraction of flavoured nicotine liquid to teens and tweens, and have urged regulators to ban them.

Consumers typically have a wide range of flavour choices, including menthol, single-malt scotch, cappuccino and pomegranate.