KOTA BHARU: Two Orang Asli men were detained last Friday with 2,600 Yaba pills, 29 litres of ketum juice and 25kg of ketum leaves, under ‘Operasi Tapis Bersepadu’ which started on April 17 and ended yesterday,
Without revealing the tribes that both the Orang Asli suspects belong to, Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said they were detained at 10am on Friday in a hut at Lubok Kasar Sungai Long, Batu Melintang, Jeli, here.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspects, aged 22 and 23, were carrying out their activities for local consumption and police suspect they were supplying drugs to oil palm plantation workers in and around the location.
“This is the first case of Orang Asli men involved in drug distribution in Kelantan. However, both have no previous criminal records. Both the suspects will be remanded for seven days starting April 27.
“We will carry out investigations to find out where the suspects got their supply of drugs,” he said during a press conference at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters, here today.
Meanwhile, Muhamad Zaki said throughout the ‘Operasi Tapis Bersepadu’ 1,036 suspects were detained, including two civil servants, a student from the Higher Learning Institution and 68 foreigners, for various drug related offences.
He added that throughout the period, police also seized various types of drugs worth about RM1.04 million, comprising Yaba pills, heroin, ganja, syabu, eremin pills, psychotropic pills, ketum leaves and ketum juice.
Muhamad Zaki said in a followup operation, the General Operations Force seized a Volkswagen Scirocco and Proton Persona in Ketereh, here at 4.15 pm last Saturday and seized 2,400 and 2,000 Yaba pills from the respective vehicles.
He added that through a cooperation with the Thailand enforcement authorities, Kelantan police were able to prevent the entry of a new drug type called fentanyl which is said to be 100 times more dangerous than heroin although there were attempts before.
“Last Friday, a delegation from the Thailand parliament were in Kelantan to discuss issues of safety along the border, including the dangers of the fentanyl drugs. Those who consume fentanyl will transform into ‘zombies’,” he said.
