37 men arrested in ketum water crackdown

KEPALA BATAS: A two-day crackdown on the illegal manufacture and sale of ketum water saw police arresting 37 men and the seizure of 363 packets of the contraband liquid.

North Seberang Prai district police chief ACP Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said three operations were held beginning May 19 to stamp out the activity.

He said the first operation took place about 12.20pm at Telok Air Tawar which resulted in the arrest of a 33-year-old man and 13 packets of ketum water.

He said a 38-year-old and a 51-year-old were nabbed in a follow-up operation in Kuala Muda about 5pm the same day.

He said police seized 350 packets of ketum water, two gas tanks, cooking ware and measuring tools used to produce the water from the duo.

“Also arrested were three men who have cases involving drugs and another four who have cases relating to drug abuse,” he said in a press conference today.

Abdul Rahman said the third operation saw police detained 27 men, aged between 20 to 50, at Kuala Muda during a 6am operation on Tuesday.

He said among those detained were two men who police were looking for to assist investigations into a RM30,000 robbery case on May 13.

“The drinks seized in the three operations are valued about RM5,000,” he said.