BALIK PULAU, PENANG – Police smashed a sophisticated drug-processing operation hidden in a remote durian orchard in Teluk Bahang, seizing over 1.1 tonnes of methamphetamine valued at RM37.8 million (S$12 million). The raids exposed a fortified lab equipped with CCTV, fencing, and stolen electricity, marking a major blow to international syndicates.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department chief Hussein Omar Khan detailed the intelligence-led operation on December 20-21 across three sites. It began with a Jalan Gurdwara raid arresting three foreign men and grabbing 26kg of meth powder, followed by another on the same road netting 474kg more.
The jackpot came at the 13ha durian orchard, where officers uncovered a full lab producing meth in powder, crystal, and liquid forms, plus processing gear. Total haul: 1,188kg of methamphetamine. Three suspects aged 32-38, suspected chemists who entered Malaysia as tourists from August, tested positive for the drug and face seven days’ remand.
A 27-year-old local coordinator died fleeing the first raid by falling from a building’s fifth floor. Police seized vehicles including a pickup, sedan, forklift, and ATV. The overseas mastermind remains at large. Khan revealed the drugs targeted global markets, with seven parcels shipped to Australia and Hong Kong, dissolved into fabric sheets, sewn into containers, dried, and later re-extracted abroad.
The orchard’s two houses and hall, rented for RM80,000 yearly, hosted imported equipment for the scheme that started in September. This bust disrupts a cunning network exploiting Penang’s hills for high-volume production.