Taiwanese duo held over drug-laced vape lab bust
KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested two Taiwanese men who were operating a laboratory for processing drug-laced vape liquid during a raid on a condominium in Brickfields, here last Wednesday, with a seizure of drugs worth RM3.29 million.
Acting Director of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) Bukit Aman, DCP Mat Zani @ Mohd Salahuddin Che Ali, said the raid at 10:30pm found 20 five-liter plastic containers (jelly cans) and six 0.5-liter plastic bottles containing amphetamine vape liquid.
In addition, various equipment for processing drug-laced vape liquid was also found, such as a mixer, heating machine, weighing scale, sealing machine, three glass beakers, one plastic funnel, and 95 empty cartridges believed to be for filling the drug-laced vape liquid.
'Initial technical analysis found that this syndicate is believed to be processing vape liquid containing Amphetamine (Fluoroamphetamine, Paramethoxyamphetamine) which has psychoactive and toxic effects similar to ecstasy on its users.
'The adverse effects of consumption include seizures, liver failure, extreme body temperature, psychosis, brain damage, emotional disturbances, extreme addiction, and even sudden death due to heart attack or respiratory failure,' he said during a JSJN press conference at the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, here today.
Mohd Salahuddin said both suspects, aged 30 and 35, served as chemists and obtained the drug ingredients from China.
He said that to ensure their drug-laced vape liquid processing activities were not detected, the syndicate used condominiums with complete security as a place to process and package the illicit substances.
'This premise was rented at RM4,100 per month, and it is believed that they change processing locations every three months, bringing in chemists from Taiwan and recruiting local workers to mislead the authorities.
'Both suspects also played a role in guarding the vape liquid processing site and delivering it to customers. They entered our country using a social visit pass and had entered the country twice, at the beginning of this year and early this month,' he said.
He stated that the amphetamine drug-laced vape liquid was sold to the local market at RM180 per cartridge and internationally at around RM400 per cartridge.
Meanwhile, he said that urine screening tests found both suspects negative for drugs but had past criminal records in their home country.
'We have checked the past records of both these suspects through our cooperation with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and the Criminal Investigation Bureau of Taiwan to trace their past records in their country and assist in the full investigation of this case.
'The results revealed that the first suspect had previously driven under the influence of alcohol and drugs, while the second suspect has various criminal records, including murder, drug trafficking, and firearms,' he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and action is also being taken under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988, with the seizure of a Honda AFS125 motorcycle belonging to the first suspect, valued at RM7,000.
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