Kedah police chief Fisol Salleh said the three arrests also saw the seizure of more than 20kg of meth and 130kg of ketum leaves, estimated to be worth more than RM730,000.

“The first arrest made on Thursday at 10.30pm was a 52-year-old man in front of a house in Kampung Lamdin, Naka. Police seized a backpack with several plastic packages of meth weighing more than 18kg.

“Police later raided a house in the same village at 11pm and arrested six men aged 26 to 39, including a Thai national,” he said in a press conference at the Kedah police headquarters here.

Fisol said an inspection of the storeroom next to the second house found a transparent plastic packet containing 22.9g of syabu, along with smoking equipment.

“Further inspection of the back of the house yielded 18 black plastic packages of ketum leaves, estimated to weigh 130kg.

“In the third arrest on Saturday at 6am, police arrested two men aged 25 and 34 near a petrol station in Kampung Padang Kerasak (in Kuala Nerang).

“The two suspects attempted to escape but were successfully arrested,” he said.

Fisol said that police inspected a bag thrown away by a suspect and found a plastic package containing meth crystals and another package of more than 2kg of meth.

“Eight of the suspects tested positive for drugs and some of them have criminal records. All those arrested were remanded for seven days. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.