PARIT, Feb 6: Police detained four men and seized 340 kilogrammes of ketum leaves worth RM3,500 along with other items, hidden in a lorry in Sungai Durian, Jejawi, near Teluk Intan, yesterday.
Perak Tengah district police chief Supt Barudin Wariso said acting on a public tip-off, a team raided a house and arrested four men in their 20s, at about 10.30 pm.
He said police later found a three-tonne Hino lorry and discovered 68 black plastic packages believed to contain ketum leaves.
âThree suspects are from Teluk Intan and one from Selayang, Selangor. They admitted to picking ketum leaves around Jejawi, before packing and distributing them in the Klang Valley since the end of last year,â he said in a statement here today.
Barudin said further investigation found that the suspects also distributed unprocessed ketum leaves in the surrounding villages and obtained orders from buyers from the Klang Valley.
He said the suspects admitted to earning RM30 for each package and distribution arrangements were made once a week.
Barudin said checks found two suspects had a previous criminal record related to drugs.
He said all four suspects were remanded starting today until Wednesday to assist in the investigation according to Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952.- Bernama
