Johor police, who uncovered this heroin processing laboratory operated by the suspect who was acting as a chemist and runner, also seized various equipment to process drugs, five vehicles, a motorcycle, RM16,430 cash, jewellery and froze 15 bank accounts having a total of RM473,283.42.

State police chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the special operation was carried out at 2pm at a rented house in the community located in Iskandar Puteri last Tuesday.

“The man is believed to have been paid a salary of RM10,000 a month to produce and distribute drugs to customers around Johor.

“The drugs seized in this operation includes 57.83kg of heroin worth RM642,588, 4.53kg of base heroin worth RM420,828 and 77.70kg of caffeine worth RM26,418,” Bernama reported today.

Ayob Khan said following the arrest of the man, the police also arrested two local women aged 34 and 35 in Temerloh, Pahang and Batu Gajah, Perak respectively.

“These two women are the wives of two other men who are wanted by the police to assist in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Their last known addresses were Taman Bestari and Taman Perling, Iskandar Puteri,” he said.

Ayob Khan said the modus operandi of the syndicate was to turn the rented “gated and guarded” house into a drug processing laboratory and is believed to have been operating for a year.

In another case, Ayob Khan said a 31-year-old local man was arrested on March 25, also in Iskandar Puteri with syabu and ketamine worth RM347,874.

“Urine test results found that the suspect was positive for methamphetamine. He had two previous criminal cases on his record and was also wanted for drugs.

“This man has only been conducting the activity for about a week in the ‘gated and guarded’ rental house to store drugs,” he said, adding that police also seized a vehicle following the man’s arrest.