KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Three groups supplying drug-laced instant drink powder to entertainment outlets in the city have been nabbed by police.
Narcotics officers detained five people in three raids in Kuchai Lama, Cheras and Kepong on Monday, and seized a quantity of drugs.
Police said the outlets would buy the spiked sachets containing powdered ecstasy, ketamine and methamphetamine and sell it to customers.
Suppliers normally sold these drinks in packets of 15 sachets.
City police chief Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Lazim said each sachet could be used to make a jug and cost the customer about RM250.
“A single jug is enough for five people, so they would most likely share the cost,” he said.
Mazlan said the drugs would normally be mixed with soft drinks like lime juice, or coffee, hot chocolate or traditional herbal drinks, and regular customers would order the drinks by their flavour.
“Some customers were unaware they were drinking drug-laced drinks and would order a second drink after getting high on the first,” he said.
“There were also instances when we raided an entertainment spot and customers were shocked they tested positive on drugs after their urine test. We later found out they were drinking these spiked drinks without knowing its contents.
Mazlan warned those running these outlets not to abuse their entertainment or liquor licences.
“They are allowed to serve alcohol to customers, but since when are they allowed to sell drugs so openly?” he asked.
“Outlet owners should be aware and responsible for what goes on in their clubs and should not use this method to attract business.”
In the first raid in Jalan Riang Ria, Kuchai Lama, police arrested a couple, aged 25 and 27, who later led them to their apartment in Happy Garden.
“There we found 8.76kg of ecstasy in pill and powdered form, along with 53.4gm of pounded ketamine worth about RM100,000,” he said.
Besides the drugs, police seized cash, jewellery and several items worth RM60,000.
The second raid was held in Taman Maluri, where a 31-year-old man was nabbed from an apartment parking lot.
Mazlan said the suspect was caught with 298g of pounded ecstasy flakes worth about RM1,800.
In the third raid, police detained a man and a woman, aged 39 and 22, from the parking lot of a supermarket in Jalan Kepong. They were caught with 184.6g of methamphetamine powder worth bout RM3,520.
“The suppliers had been operating independently for about four months,” Mazlan said.
He said all five suspects tested positive for drugs and have been remanded until Monday.
Mazlan also said that betweeen January and this month, some RM9.6 million worth of various kinds of drugs were seized by city police.
A total of 1,717 people were arrested for drug-related offences during the period.
