Latest news with #Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Daily Express
Drug trafficking: Trio charged
Published on: Saturday, August 09, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 09, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: They were each charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a punishment of either the death penalty or life in prison and whipping with a minimum of 15 strokes. Kota Kinabalu: Three self-employed men were tentatively charged in the Magistrate's Court here, Friday, with drug trafficking. Filipino Al Basar Baluan Awah, 37, Tailon Chong Shih Wen, 40, and paperless Filipino Abdul Aidil Duing, 33, were brought before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to face the charges against them, respectively. Advertisement However, no plea was recorded from them after the charges were read out to them. Al Basar was accused of trafficking 55.42gm of syabu on July 26, this year, at 7.30pm, in front of a house at Kg Numbak, Manggatal. Chong allegedly trafficked 70.32gm of syabu on July 26, at 5pm, in a house at Taman LT Jaya, Jalan Kobusak, Penampang. Abdul was alleged to have trafficked 53.45gm of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on July 28, this year, at 9.55pm, in front of a clinic, at Pavilion, Penampang. Advertisement They were each charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a punishment of either the death penalty or life in prison and whipping with a minimum of 15 strokes. The prosecution applied for another mention date for each accused pending the chemist's reports. Magistrate Marilyn fixed Oct 8, Oct 1 and Oct 9 for mention of the cases of Al Basal, Chong and Abdul, respectively. In another case, nine men were penalised for taking drugs. They were Faizal Rasit, Usama Jalani, Sarmisal Kimsa, Jasmin Nurkis, Hasmadi Hassan, Saharman Mantamin, Iskandar Hashim, Amir Rahman and Apian Jumaa pleaded guilty respectively to committing the offence at separate locations here between May and June, this year. Jasmin, Hasmadi, Iskandar, Amir were each jailed for eight months, Faizal, Usama, Sarmisal were sentenced to seven months jail each, Saharman was handed six months jail, while Apijan was fined RM2,000 or six months jail. Taking drugs under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or up to two years' jail on conviction. Inspector Yusdi Basri prosecuted. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Time of India
Inter-state drug cartel busted near Nepal border, 1 held
Dehradun: Uttarakhand police, in coordination with Maharashtra police and Nepal authorities, busted an inter-state drug cartel operating an illegal MDMA making unit under the cover of a poultry farm in Thal, Pithoragarh, near the India-Nepal border on Monday. One person was arrested during the raid. The crackdown followed the arrest of two men in Thane, Maharashtra, with 11 grams of MDMA -- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine -- on May 31. Their interrogation led authorities to the Pithoragarh unit run by Monu Gupta and Kunal Kohli. DGP Deepam Seth said that during the raid on the poultry farm, police recovered chemicals used to produce MDMA. Though no arrests were made initially, three people — Gupta, Bhim Yadav, and Amar Kohli — were later caught trying to flee to Nepal. Meanwhile, Kunal Kohli and his aides, Rahul and Vikram, escaped to Nepal. Rahul's wife, Isha, was arrested in Champawat with 5.6 kg of MDMA worth over Rs 10 crore. Police found that the cartel sourced chemicals from a licensed factory in Ghaziabad, and earlier from Thane and Varanasi, where they had operated similar units. Pithoragarh location was chosen for its proximity to Nepal, police added. Kohli was arrested in Nanakmatta with 7.4 grams of MDMA and raw materials to make 6 kg more. One accused, Vikram, remains at large as Rahul was held a few days ago. STF SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar said the group learned to make the drug in Thane. MDMA was manufactured in powder form in Pithoragarh, transported to Mumbai by train, and converted into tablets for sale.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
LSD & MDMA: Laced by dark web spaces, grip of synthetic drugs tightens on youth
Bhopal: Sample this, A 19-year-old student, part of an online group on a social media website, from Bhopal ordered LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), a banned substance online through a dark web via post from Kerala. The cops, in the guise of postmen, arrested the teenager red-handed receiving the drug 'parcel' from an actual postman. This is not one of the only case in the state capital, there are several instances of the sort making the headlines, or undetected and unseized, are becoming the talk of the town lately. The number of youths falling for synthetic drugs— MDMA (ecstasy drug-- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)— are increasing. The 'trend' has not only been worrying the cops but have also become a cause of concern for the psychiatrists as they have been noticing the increase in footfall of youngsters. Consultant psychiatrist Satyakant Trivedi said drug abuse is now becoming prevalent in the city. "The use of synthetic drugs has increased in the city by around 30-50 percent in the past decade," he said, adding that he was saying this seeing the increase in the number of patients he has been getting. Attributing the causes for easy access through social media, he said that the use of it (drugs) has gone to such a level that he has been seeing acute behavioural changes in both boys and girls in Bhopal. When asked to expand upon the causes, the psychiatrist said, "They (the youth) have become experimental and novelty-seeking in this direction. There is also peer pressure as addiction, crime and drug addiction are glorified in movies and on social media. Earlier, drug addicts were portrayed as criminals, but now they are being portrayed as 'cool'. Social media and the dark web have increased easy access and availability. " Addiction to MDMA is more common, he said. In Feb 2021, Piplani police nabbed three high-tech drug peddlers, including a mechanical engineer and two engineering students. Police seized 100 LSD 'stamps' and 100 MDMA/Ecstasy pills worth more than Rs 10 lakhs from the accused. They supplied these synthetic drugs to students and customers for rave parties after purchasing them from the dubious web. The main accused contacted the suppliers over the darkweb by using the internet at cyber-cafes. "The main accused revealed that he got the idea of purchasing drugs online through online videos. The accused paid for the drugs online in dollars and cryptocurrency," said a senior cop, adding that he remained in contact with the suppliers on the darknet through single-time-use emails in encrypted messages and chats. The supplier delivered the drugs at specific undisclosed spots in the city and informed the location through encrypted email and chats, after which the accused picked up the consignment and supplied it to students and customers for rave parties. The accused revealed that they purchased one stamp of LSD for Rs 2000/- to Rs 3000/- and sold it to end users for Rs 4500/- to Rs 5000/- or as per the demand. He got one pill of MDMA/Ecstasy or 'Meow Meow' for Rs 600 and sold it to the end user for Rs 2000 per pill. Though the cyber-crime branch is keeping a close watch on the online activities of darkwebs, in an effort to trace the networks behind these drugs. Senior police officers insist that they are taking the issue seriously and are intensifying efforts to curb the growing synthetic drug menace in the city. But the policing has be more stricter, says a social worker on condition of anonimity. In Feb 2023, the crime branch arrested a 28-year-old BBA graduate and seized MDMA from him. The accused revealed that he smuggled the drug from Uttarakhand at Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 per gram and sold them to his close friends and students in the city at a higher price ranging up to Rs 10,000 per gram. The accused procured the drug through his friends and contacts in Uttarakhand and contacted his clients through WhatsApp. Police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra raised his concerns over the rising trend of synthetic drug manufacturing in industries using chemicals. In many past cases solved by the police, such drugs were found to be manufactured within industrial zones. "The challenge is that police typically do not conduct routine checks of chemicals stored in factories within these areas," commissioner Mishra added. Now, Bhopal Police have launched a special campaign targeting drug trafficking, with a particular focus on areas surrounding schools and colleges. A meeting of all SHOs was recently held at the police control room to strategise and strengthen enforcement. Commissioner Mishra said that the police in Bhopal have come across cases in which the perpetrators of crime have been found to be under the influence of synthetic drugs. "Curbing drug abuse is critical for crime prevention," he added. On low number of seizures, Mishra said, "As part of the initiative, efforts are being made to boost intelligence gathering to better track and dismantle drug networks."
Daily Express
05-07-2025
- Daily Express
Murdering neighbour: Illegal worker claims trial
Published on: Saturday, July 05, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 05, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: The offence, under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the death penalty or imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years, along with not less than 12 strokes of the cane for male offenders below the age of 50, on conviction. Kota Kinabalu: A 40-year-old illegal immigrant claimed trial in the High Court here, Friday, for murdering his neighbour in Keningau, last year. Abdul Razak Amri pleaded not guilty before Judge Datuk Celestina Stuel Galid, to the murder of one Mohd Yusof Peyong, 58, on Sept 19, 2024, between 9.30pm and 10.30pm, at Jalan Lingkudau, Taman Juta, Keningau. Advertisement The offence, under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the death penalty or imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years, along with not less than 12 strokes of the cane for male offenders below the age of 50, on conviction. Celestina fixed Aug 15 for case management and ordered the accused to be further remanded. The prosecution offered no bail to the accused as the charge against him was a non-bailable offence. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lovely Natasha Charles prosecuted. The accused was represented by counsel Korventt Wheezar E. Jomiji. In another case, a 28-year-old man was tentatively charged in the Magistrate's Court with drug trafficking. Mohd Wan Awie Abdul Aziz allegedly trafficked 125.06gm of 3,4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on June 19, this year, at 12.20am, in a house at Taman BDC, Phase 2, Jalan Kilang Inanam. However, no plea was recorded from Wan, who appeared before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin, after the charge was read out to him. The charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, carries a punishment of either the death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping with a minimum of 15 strokes. The court set Aug 19 for mention pending the chemist's report. Wan was ordered to be remanded further pending the date, as the charge against him has no provision for bail. Inspector Yusdi Basri prosecuted. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Sinar Daily
01-07-2025
- Sinar Daily
Police smash major MDMA "juice" syndicate, seize RM5 million in drugs
SHAH ALAM – Thirteen individuals have been arrested following six coordinated raids by Federal Police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), which uncovered two clandestine laboratories producing the Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-laced synthetic drug 'juice.' Authorities seized drugs valued at RM5.03 million in the large-scale operation conducted on June 26 between 2pm and 5pm. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed the arrests, which included twelve local men and one Vietnamese woman aged between 20 and 41. He said the syndicate was dismantled following weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering. 'These labs were sophisticated setups hidden in residential areas and operated by individuals with defined roles. "Some acted as chemists, others as runners, all working together in a network that's been active since December 2022. "We found 1,488 juice boxes suspected to contain MDMA, amounting to 372.62 kg,' he said during a press conference at the Selangor Police Headquarters on Tuesday. Hussein further stated that the first raid took place at a terraced house in Ampang, Selangor, where three local men were arrested. He said that police uncovered a fully operational drug lab processing MDMA into juice, along with ecstasy pills, Erimin 5 tablets and other related substances. A second raid in Pandan Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, resulted in the arrest of six suspects namely, five local men and the Vietnamese woman at another illicit juice lab. Officers also recovered hundreds of bottles containing MDMA-laced liquid, ketamine, ecstasy pills, cannabis, Erimin 5 tablets and more MDMA processing equipment from both the residence and a vehicle. Subsequent raids in parking lots across Kuchai Lama, Taman Permata, Kuchai Jaya and Taman Connaught resulted in the arrest of four more local men, with significant quantities of MDMA-laced liquid recovered from their vehicles. 'In total, we seized 689.24 kg of MDMA in liquid form, 1.68 kg of MDMA powder, 25.4 kg of ketamine, 5.3 kg of ecstasy pills and nearly 0.73 kg of Erimin 5,' he added. Hussein revealed that several suspects functioned as 'chemists' in the operation while others acted as runners, receiving payments ranging from RM3,000 to RM25,000 monthly. The syndicate, believed to have been active since December 2022, used rented terraced homes as production sites and transported products in private vehicles for distribution in local markets. He stated that all thirteen suspects have been remanded under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, facing potential sentences of death or life imprisonment and at least twelve strokes of the cane. Eleven suspects were remanded for seven days from June 27 to July 3, while one, identified as the alleged coordinator, remained in custody for three additional days from June 29 to July 2. According to Hussein, preliminary urine tests indicated nine of the thirteen tested positive for ketamine, methamphetamine, or benzodiazepines; the remaining four tested negative.
