Three nabbed for processing, selling ketum drink

PETALING JAYA: The scarcity of hard drugs has perhaps raised the demand for alternative stimulants among drug users, creating “entrepreneurs” who are turning to brewing ketum leaves and selling the drink here.

On Sunday, police scored a success in two separate raids that saw about 400 litres of ketum water seized in Taman Medan and Section 17.

Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said yesterday a 55-year-old man, who has been selling the brew for about two years in Taman Medan, was held after a raid was conducted at a two-storey terrace house in Jalan PJS 2D/15D.

The unemployed man led police to a van that was parked on a road shoulder not far from the house.

The raiding party found 235 bottles containing about 352 litres of ketum water in the vehicle.

Nik Ezanee said the seizure, which could supply 1,880 ketum users, is worth RM4,700.

Police also seized stoves, gas cylinders and other paraphernalia used for brewing the ketum leaves.

In a separate case, Nik Ezanee said police raided a double-storey terrace house in Lorong 17/22B, Section 17 here, where two men were arrested for brewing a concoction of ketum water and codeine, an active ingredient for cough syrup.

He said 46 litres of ketum water and more than eight litres of codeine, which could supply 248 people, were recovered from the house.

Nik Ezanee said 2kg of ketum leaves were also seized from the suspects, who have been selling the drink over the past four months.

He said all three suspects in both cases were remanded for four days to assist in investigations.