JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 20 — Johor police crippled a drug syndicate using vape devices with the arrest of three individuals during a special operation involving three separate raids in and around Johor Bahru from Wednesday to Thursday last week.

Johor police chief Datuk CP M. Kumar said that in the three raids, officers detained two men and a woman, aged between 27 and 44, between 6.45 pm and 4 am.

He said that the police seized various types of drugs valued at RM 2.827 million during the operation.

"In this operation, we managed to seize 16,345 grammes (g) of ecstasy powder, 225 g of ketamine, 68.87 g of methamphetamine, 40 g (140 tablets) of Eramin 5, 115 g (294 tablets) of ecstasy, 14.75 g of cannabis, as well as 330 millilitres of liquid suspected to be drugs contained in 10 vape cartridges and five refill bottles.

"We also seized a car valued at RM 44,000 and cash amounting to RM 160. The total value of the seizures and confiscations from this operation is RM 3.899 million.”

"This syndicate is believed to have rented a gated and guarded apartment for a short period to avoid detection,” he said at a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters today.

He noted that the syndicate, which has been active since August, used the apartment as a storage and processing facility for repackaging drugs before distributing them to the local market.

Urine tests indicated that all suspects tested positive for methamphetamine, while two of them had prior records related to drugs and other criminal activities.

At the same press conference, Kumar said another drug syndicate was also busted after a seizure valued at RM 871,068 in a raid in the area on Tuesday.

Kumar said that during this operation, two local men and one local woman were arrested in an apartment that was also used as a storage and processing facility for drugs before distribution in the local market.

"In this operation, we seized 5.025 g of ecstasy powder, 1.65 g of ketamine, and 189 millilitres of ecstasy liquid, valued at RM 871,068.

"The police also seized two cars worth RM 155,000 and cash amounting to RM 1,850. The total value of the seizures from this operation is RM 1.027 million.”

Kumar added that all suspects from the two syndicates have been remanded for seven days, from Oct 16, under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama