Deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the force was using advanced trapped ion mobility spectrometry – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TIMS-TOF) machines to detect these substances.

“There are currently 110 substances on the country’s illegal drugs list, but the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has identified more than 1,000,” he said before chairing a meeting with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on a joint forensic science research initiative.

Ayob added that the list would be updated as new substances are identified.

The police’s two TIMS-TOF machines, which cost RM2 million and RM3.9 million respectively, have also been used to detect drug compounds in sewage water, helping them uncover drug laboratories.

“For instance, an analysis of sewage water in Lembah Subang revealed the presence of a drug lab in the area,” Ayob said, adding that such intelligence was crucial to police investigations.

Similar tests conducted in the Klang Valley and Johor also detected traces of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, a highly potent drug.

Ayob also introduced a new biosensor test kit that can detect drugs in urine in just 20 seconds, compared to the current two-day waiting period.

He said the improved time would reduce the workload of the chemistry department and speed up investigations.

He added that nine officers from the federal narcotics investigation department had been stationed at UKM to study emerging drug trends and develop forensic expertise.

He said police must keep up with emerging drug trends, citing a recent operation in Selangor that uncovered a drug lab run by nine China nationals who were allegedly producing new synthetic drugs.

Ayob said the home ministry had allocated RM8.4 million for research, forensics, technology, and data analysis.

However, police are seeking an additional RM80 million to ensure the programme’s long-term sustainability.