GEORGE TOWN, Feb 6 — Police have identified a Malaysian woman in her 40’s to be the person who distributed pre-mixed coffee laced with drugs to the public here.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Datuk Anuar Omar said police have started a manhunt for the woman who is believed to have started distributing the tampered coffee sachets around Jelutong area at the end of last month.

“We urge the woman to come forward and cooperate with police on our investigations.

“We need to record her statement under Section 272 of the Penal Code,” he told reporters during a press conference this afternoon.

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Section 272 is for adulteration of food or drink which is intended for sale and carries a jail sentence of up to six months or a fine of RM2,000 or both.

Anuar said a total of seven victims have so far been hospitalised after drinking the coffee mixture that they obtained for free from unknown individuals.

“We are expected to receive chemical test results of the coffee samples seized last week and that will disclose the actual ingredients of the foreign substances added to the coffee mixture,” he said.

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Anuar said initial investigations revealed that 10g of drugs were added into each tempered coffee sachets.

“For now we found only two types of pre-mix coffee that were tampered with this foreign substance and we have also received a report from the coffee manufacturer,” he said.

On January 27, two women were admitted in hospital over symptoms of fatigue and weakness after consuming the pre-mix durian white coffee that was donated to a temple.

A few days later, two Nepalese security guards were rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms after drinking the same types of coffee.

Three more cases were reported over the last few days after the victims consumed the same pre-mix durian white coffee and also the Penang White Coffee.