SARAWAK POLICE BUST DRUG LAB IN BATU KAWA APARTMENT
KUCHING, March 25 (Bernama) -- Sarawak police busted a drug trafficking syndicate operating in the state to process syabu and ketamine during a raid at an apartment in Batu Kawa near here on March 22.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata said in the raid carried out at 4.30 pm, two local men aged 26 and 29, were arrested at the premises which they were renting.
“Police seized 11.9 kilogrammes of syabu and 66 gm of ketamine estimated to be worth RM394,000. Also seized were property of RM62,345.60 which included a car, handbag and a chain.
“These two suspects are from Sabah and we believe they have been operating since 2022. Preliminary urine screening found the 29-year-old suspect positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine and ketamine, while the other suspect was negative for drugs,” he said at the Sarawak police contingent headquarters here today.
According to him, the makeshift lab had 22 types of apparatus for drug processing including glass beakers, metal strainers, glass measuring cups and electronic scales.
He said the two suspects were paid wages of between RM10,000 to RM25,000 and obtained drug supplies from Peninsular Malaysia to be refined for distribution in Kuching and nearby districts.
Mancha said the suspects were now remanded for seven days starting yesterday for further investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
In the meantime, he said for the period Jan 1 to March 24 this year, Sarawak police have arrested 2,887 suspects for narcotic crimes, including 169 drug dealers.
“Various types of drugs worth RM9.2 million were confiscated and property worth RM1.4 million belonging to syndicates have been seized," he said.
-- BERNAMA
