BANGI – The use of the ‘zombie’ drug, fentanyl, which is said to be 100 times stronger than morphine, is believed to have made its way into Malaysia.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said that through collaboration between the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), wastewater analysis in Lembah Subang successfully detected methamphetamine and fentanyl.
"This indicates the possible existence of drug processing labs in the area.
"This strategic partnership with UKM has successfully developed a biosensor test kit using the Tims-Tof machine, which delivers results in just 20 seconds compared to the previous two-day process,” he said at a press conference following the Steering Committee Meeting for the Strategic Cooperation Project on Education and Research in Forensic Science between the police and UKM on Wednesday.
He added that this is a new method for detecting different types of drugs.
Ayob said wastewater analysis had been conducted in the Klang Valley and would be expanded nationwide.
"There is a possibility that new substances have been detected in the Klang Valley, or they may have been found there before but now appear in samples from Johor.
"We have yet to collect samples from across Malaysia. Once we do, we will analyse the trend. All of this will help us immensely with wastewater testing,” he explained.
Ayob added that wastewater testing would lead to follow-up actions, including intelligence gathering and operations.
Additionally, using the biosensor test kit, authorities have detected 57 types of drugs in a single urine sample test.
"The current trend of drug labs in Malaysia is alarming, as they are often operated by foreign nationals with specialised expertise. Furthermore, foreign substances are being brought in to produce new types of drugs,” he said.
Commenting on the cooperation between NCID and UKM, he said it was an approach that mixed enforcement and research, which had been ongoing since Oct 21, 2022.
"A total of six work packages have been outlined, covering technological development, research, forensics, data analysis and capacity building. These focus on the development of biosensor test strips, a forensic molecular database, and drug residue analysis in wastewater systems,” he said.
He added that nine senior NCID officers had been selected to conduct part-time research under the guidance of UKM experts.
"A Steering Committee has also been established to monitor the effectiveness of this program, with me personally entrusted as the chairman in my capacity as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police,” he said.
According to Ayob Khan, the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) has approved an allocation of RM8.4 million to support this initiative. The funds are crucial to ensuring the smooth execution of each work package and achieving high-impact results.
"We anticipate that this program will further strengthen enforcement capabilities. Most importantly, it will foster collaboration with external agencies, including Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and many others, particularly in intelligence sharing,” he said.