SHAH ALAM, March 1 ― A group of ten Thai nationals had their cover blown and were arrested after police caught wind of them supplying ketum juice and cough syrup out of their flats in Section 17 here.
The group, comprising one woman and nine men aged 17 to 51 all worked at a restaurant with expired social visas.
It is believed the syndicate had been supplying the local community there with ketum juice and leaves, and the cough syrup, or Codeine, for the past six months.
Shah Alam police chief Assistant Commissioner Baharuddin Mat Taib said the suspects’ flat was used as storage and pickup point for their customers.
“Customers could buy a packet of ketum juice at RM10, a one kilogram bag of fresh ketum leaves for about RM35, and a bottle of the Codeine for around RM20,” he said.
He said in total police seized 42 bags of fresh ketum leaves weighing about 43 kilograms, 35 packets of the psychotropic drink totalling around 7.3 litres, and 82 bottles of cough syrup (17.5litres) worth in total around RM3,460.
“Investigations revealed the leaves were obtained from a source up north, as we are trying to establish the exact supplier,” he said.
Baharuddin said the district narcotics department raided the flat yesterday afternoon and made the subsequent arrests.
He said they also seized RM5,908 in cash from the unit, believed to their yield from drug sales.
All the suspects have been remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act, as the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952 for the manufacturing and distribution of psychotropic substances.
