Penang police bust forest drug lab near Bkt Gambir, seize over RM51,000 worth of heroin

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 3 — Police have cracked down drug trafficking and processing activities in a forest area near Cangkat Bukit Gambir here following the arrest of a local man on Wednesday afternoon.

Timur Laut district police chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said the 47-year-old suspect was arrested in a toilet in the forest by a police team from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) of the Penang Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) who conducted a raid at about 5pm, based on information and intelligence.

He said during the raid, they seized a quantity of heroin drugs along with various equipment believed to be used to process drugs worth RM51,370.

“The drugs were found in a brown paper box with ‘Luzhou Laojiao Touqu’ written on it with an estimated weight of 5,351 grams worth RM51,370,” he said in a statement last night.

According to him, intelligence found that the syndicate is believed to have only been active with the activity since early December 2024 and the seized drugs could be used by 26,755 people or 26,755 times.

He said the results of the urine screening conducted found that the suspect was positive for amphetamine/methamphetamine and also had 10 past records for criminal and drug related offences.

Abdul Rozak said the suspect would be remanded for seven days from yesterday until Jan 8 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama