KUALA LUMPUR: Three e-commerce websites popular among Malaysians are being investigated by police for being accessories to the sale of banned drug-laced vape e-liquids.
This comes following a major blitz by the federal police narcotics crimes investigations department (NCID) last week on sellers of e-liquids who were traced to the websites offering e-liquids containing ketamine and ganja-derived ingredients like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
NCID director Commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said yesterday in a press conference at Bukit Aman that the management of e-commerce websites are being investigated for “publishing or circulating a statement which can induce a person to commit a crime” under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and for the misuse of network services under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.
It is learnt that police have summoned the top management staff of the three e-commerce websites and have recorded their statements.
Ramli said police arrested 17 people who sold the illegal e-juices in the three e-commerce websites and seized 215 bottles of the vape fluid worth more than RM58,000 on April 29 and 30.
He said the suspects were picked up at various locations in the Klang Valley and are aged between 20 and 56.
Ramli said among those arrested was a foreign student of a higher learning institution and a female Malaysian permanent resident status holder.
While many were unemployed, others held were a bank staff, a businessman and dispatch riders.
Five of the suspects had past records for drug-related offences and other crimes.
Two of those held also tested positive for ganja use.
“We had put an end to such sales of illegal vape liquids in 2015. However, with the recent movement control order (MCO), it re-emerged in the three e-commerce websites. The suspects delivered the e-liquid via shipping and meet-ups with their customers. The liquid was sold for between RM200 and RM300 a bottle.
“The sale of such liquids might be legal in other countries but it is illegal here in Malaysia. We have to date charged 14 of them for the offence under laws of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. We urge those who have purchased such e-liquids to come forward and surrender it to police,“ he said.
Ramli said police also arrested another man in possession of the ganja-laced e-liquid at an MCO roadblock.
The operation on the banned e-liquids codenamed “Ops Slayer” involved almost 70 police personnel and was led by NCID assistant director (intelligence) ACP Ravinder Singh Sarban Singh. (please keep this line for future contact and stories.)
theSun learnt that the sellers had obtained THC and CBD liquid from overseas and blended it with fluids commonly used in vape juices such as propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, fruit and other flavours.
Those arrested had claimed that they resorted to selling the banned vape juices for quick money as it yielded profits of more than 10 fold.
In one case, a male suspect in his 30’s who was arrested at his condominium at Taman Tasik Permaisuri, Cheras, was found to own two vape shops.
Police who raided his house not only seized dozens of bottles of the banned e-juice but also learnt that he produced it at his home.
On Aug 22, theSun ran a story exposing the sale of THC and CBD-laced e-juices after alerting and sharing information on the activities with police.
Investigators launched a probe before carrying out the operation a week later.
NCID assistant director (intelligence) ACP Ravinder Singh Sarban Singh (right) showing items used to package the marijuana vape liquid bottles at an apartment in Cheras
