Johor police chief clarifies no organised mini drug labs exist in Felda areas, with syndicates operating large-scale labs in urban centres instead.
KOTA TINGGI: Johor police have dismissed claims that organised drug processing laboratories operate in Felda settlements or rural areas of the state.
State police chief CP Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad clarified that a ‘mini-lab’ refers to a large-scale, organised processing facility, not small-scale home packaging by addicts.
“Some addicts in the Felda settlements sell (drugs) in small amounts for their own needs. We can’t call that a mini-lab,” he said at a Bernama Mobile Studio programme here.
He explained that addicts in rural areas typically use conventional drugs like marijuana and heroin.
Synthetic drugs such as syabu and methamphetamine are more prevalent in urban areas and entertainment outlets.
Ab Rahaman acknowledged the existence of mini-labs run by organised syndicates in urban centres.
These syndicates use rented houses and apartments to process and distribute drugs on a large scale.
Their operations span domestic and international markets, including neighbouring countries.
The state police dismantled hundreds of drug syndicates last year, seizing narcotics worth RM176.33 million.
The seizures included 544.31kg of methamphetamine, 147.78kg of heroin, 169.39kg of marijuana and 1,464.72kg of ecstasy powder.
Ab Rahaman warned syndicates and pushers in Johor to cease their activities immediately.
He stated that Johor police would implement total enforcement this year with increased intelligence and statewide operations.
