PADANG BESAR : Three women were among 16 suspects, aged between 23 and 61, detained for supposedly getting high on ketum leaves at Kampung Guar Musang, Chuping, here today.
State Deputy police chief Assistant Commissioner Noor Mushar Muhamad said a team from the General Operations Force raided a shed after receiving a tip-off on the abuse of the leaves at a party in the village.
He said a group of 13 men were found drinking ketum juice at the shed, which was turned into a gathering area, in the 6.30pm raid.
"Upon further inspection, the team found a barrel containing 25 soft drink bottles filled with 37.5 litres of ketum juice and 12 plastic containers with six litres of the juice.
"RM635 in cash was also found in a cupboard in the shed, believed to be money from the ketum juice sale.
"The finding later led to another raid at a house near the hut where three women including a 61-year-old woman, who is the house owner, was detained to facilitate investigation," he said.
He said the team also discovered 125 packets of ketum leaves weighing 20kg, in the house.
Checks at a storage room next to the house revealed five more barrels with 136 soft drink bottles filled with 284 litres of ketum juice, and five black plastic bags with 25 kg of ketum leaves.
Apart from the ketum leaves and juice, Mushar said the team found a black plastic bag containing 14 cough medicines in the storage room.
"It is believed that the ketum leaf supplies were obtained from the farm belonging to the house owner.
"Initial investigation showed that most of the ketum juice were served to the guests during a feast, besides being sold," he said, adding that the estimated value of the ketum leaves seized was RM675.
The case is being investigated under Section 30 (3) of the Poison Act 1952.