BALIK PULAU, July 24 — Police arrested five men believed to be involved in the processing and selling of ketum water in a raid at a house in Sungai Ara, Bayan Lepas here yesterday.

According to a statement posted on the South West District Police Headquarters’ Facebook page, the five men aged 29 to 37 were arrested with 200 packets of processed ketum water and two black plastic bags containing ketum leaves weighing 10 kg.

"The police also seized various equipment for processing and packaging ketum water that is believed to be sold around Sungai Ara and Bayan Lepas. Each bottle of ketum water costs RM5.

"During the raid, the police also found some ketum trees planted near the house and we took immediate action by cutting them down,” read the statement.

It said the five self-employed men have now been remanded for four days to assist in the investigations in accordance with Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

Meanwhile, the statement said that in a separate case, the police arrested two men aged 20 and 50 on suspicion of being ‘mule account’ holders of online fraud syndicates.

It said the two men were arrested in Bukit Mertajam, near here and in Kedah, on Friday by the South West District Commercial Crime Investigation Division (BSJKD) following tipoffs and intelligence gathering.

"Preliminary investigations found that they were used as mule account holders involving losses of between RM10,650 to RM27,000 suffered by victims. It involves cases from 2019 to 2021,” it said, adding that the two men were now remanded for four days to assist with investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code. — Bernama