KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — Three policemen and three City Hall employees were detained yesterday for consuming ketum juice near a food stall in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.

A team of police officers from Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS) went to the location after they were tipped-off about the six men.

A police source told Malay Mail that upon arriving at the stall at 1.20pm, police found one bottle of ketum juice near the fence around the stall and eight plastic packets that also contained ketum juice 30 metres away from the stall.

“The three policemen are aged between 24 and 32 years old. Two of them are Corporals while the one aged 24 is a constable. The two corporals are with Bukit Aman’s Special Branch while the constable is attached to the Sentul police headquarters.

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“The City Hall employees are aged between 29 and 34 years old, one of them is a general office worker while the other two are attached to the landscape department,” the source said.

One of the City Hall employees tested positive for ‘Benzo’ which is a type of anti-anxiety medicine.

The source said investigations are underway to determine where the six men had obtained their ketum supply from.

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“We have also recorded the statement from the stall owner to facilitate investigations,

“We believe this is not the first time they consumed the ketum juice near the premises,” the source added.

All six men had no previous criminal record.

The case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poison Act 1952, which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term not exceeding four years, or both, if convicted.

On November 16 last year, three policemen were arrested along with five others for having in possession and distributing 26 bottles of ketum juice, as well as 51 bottles of cough medicine.

The three rogue policemen were from the Salak Selatan police station.

Ketum is regulated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, due to the presence of a substance called mitragynine in the plant.

JIPS was formed in 2013 by former Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to improve the integrity and for the security force to comply with the standard operating procedures.

The department’s role was to ensure all officers and personnel will comply with the integrity guidelines by PDRM.

All officers and personnel will be monitored closely by the department and it will be an addition to the existing discipline unit.