JOHOR BARU, June 25 — It was the high purity of their distributed drugs that led a federal police special narcotics strike force to cripple a drug syndicate’s major distribution network in south Johor and Singapore recently.

The high-grade heroin, that was processed by the syndicate for domestic consumption, was the main selling point for the syndicate which is believed to have links to international drug dealers in Thailand and Myanmar.

An informed police source said investigators chanced upon a box filled with high-quality heroin with the Lion Double UO Globe brand, that is commonly referred to as “China White”, during the 2.40pm raid in a single-story house in Taman Bukit Indah at Iskandar Puteri near here on Saturday.

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“The powdered drugs, which are high-grade, are the main component for the illicit processing lab where profits from the finished product can easily be doubled.

“The Lion Double UO Globe brand, which is usually smuggled into Malaysia via Thailand, is highly sought after by local drug lords as they can be easily mixed with caffeine and other chemicals through a process called ‘cutting’ to maintain its quality and also to maximise profits.

“This will then be made into lower grade heroin, commonly known as heroin No 3, for the streets,” said the source to Malay Mail today on condition of anonymity.

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The source said Bukit Aman’s Narcotics Criminal Investigations Department intelligence managed to uncover the clandestine illicit heroin processing laboratory that distributed the drugs based on information.

“Following that, a nine-member NCID strike force was sent down to Johor where the premises was raided after a stakeout by the team,” revealed the source.

The source said the raiding team also arrested two male suspects, aged 36 and 40, found hiding in a room.

“Investigators believe that the suspects were hired to ‘cook and cut’ the drugs into inhaled-quality heroin or known as Heroin No 3 that is popular among addicts in Malaysia and Singapore.

“The entire house was converted into a makeshift narcotics laboratory filled with cooking gas tanks, metal cooking utensils and also chemicals and electronic weighing scales used to process the drugs before being packed for distribution,” said the source.

Heroin’s comeback

Checks by Malay Mail revealed that the distinctive red Lion Double UO Globe brand of heroin originated in the Indo-China war in Laos. It has since been sold by Myanmar-Chinese opium warlords in the South-east Asian region.

The heroin brand was once infamous throughout the world for its high-purity content in the late 1970s to early 1990s, before the popularity of synthetic drugs overtook heroin as a recreational narcotic of choice.

Lately, heroin is said to be making a comeback due to its lower cost over the more expensive synthetic drugs.

At present, the source revealed that most heroin from the Golden Triangle have different brand names.

“Investigators have come across names such as Lucky Strike, Panda and Dragon. Each has its own reputation for quality, but the Double UO Globe with Chinese characters is considered the best,” said one source, adding that its popularity was due to its accepted quality among foreign drug dealers and Asian gangs.

Another source familiar with the on-going investigations said the total value of the illicit drugs may reach close to RM800,000 in street value.

Investigators are also said to have seized a Toyota Vios car, two high-end Casio Edifice wristwatches, jewellery, RM2,300 in cash in addition to 1,420 Thai Bath and S$190 from the 26-year-old suspect.

“Investigations are still on-going on the total seizure pending another premises that was raided in Batu Pahat that was believed to be linked to the suspects,” said the source.

Bukit Aman NCID director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh is expected to have a media conference on the raid’s details at the Johor police contingent headquarters in Jalan Tebrau here later today.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which used to carry the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

However, the law was amended in Parliament last year and now provides an option for life imprisonment together with whipping of not fewer than 15 strokes if the death sentence is not given.