Padang besar: Police have crippled a drug trafficking syndicate suspected of filling vape cartridges with furanylfentanyl following the seizure of 228.75 litres of the banned substance valued at RM34.31 million through three separate raids around Padang Besar and Arau last week.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Perlis police chief Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim said the operation, conducted by the Perlis Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID), also led to the arrest of three people - a 38-year-old Thai woman and two men aged 68 and 55 - while another suspect is still at large.

He detailed that in the first raid on July 1, conducted by the Arau and Padang Besar District Narcotics Crime Investigation Division (DNCID) at a storage warehouse in Kampung Panggas, the Thai woman was arrested, and authorities seized 172 boxes containing 75,540 cartridges filled with 188.85 litres of suspected furanylfentanyl.

Muhammad further elaborated that on July 2, the Perlis NCID arrested a 68-year-old man in Kampung Guar Musang, Bukit Ketari and seized 35 boxes containing 21,000 vape cartridges filled with 39.9 litres of suspected furanylfentanyl.

He mentioned that further investigations led police to the third raid on July 3 around Ulu Pauh, Arau, resulting in the arrest of the 55-year-old man. The total amount of drugs seized could have fed the habits of 457,500 addicts.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate is believed to have used storage units and residential houses as transit points before smuggling the drugs into a neighbouring country. Muhammad stated that the 55-year-old suspect tested positive for drugs, while checks showed that the two male suspects have prior offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Poisons Act 1952.

He added that the three suspects have been remanded until tomorrow, and police will apply for an extension of the remand period to complete investigations. Authorities are currently tracking down another suspect who remains at large, and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.