KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Six men, including a supplier of vape products suspected to contain drugs, were arrested by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) following the circulation of social media videos showing individuals in a dazed state after excessive vaping.

Bukit Aman JSJN director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the department viewed vape abuse seriously as it could become a medium for drug use and promote unhealthy lifestyles.

He said JSJN did not rule out the possibility that certain vape products were mixed with harmful substances or synthetic drugs that could endanger users.

“Investigations into a viral video showing two men believed to be intoxicated after vaping substances suspected to contain drugs at an apartment in Selangor led to the arrest of three local men, including the two individuals in the video and a supplier of the vape products.

“Police also seized a bottle of vape liquid suspected to contain ketamine during the raid,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Hussein said JSJN also acted against another viral video showing two men vaping during a live broadcast on a social media platform in Johor Bahru.

“Three local men, including the two individuals in the video, were arrested. They admitted conducting the live broadcast to receive gifts from viewers,” he said.

He said JSJN had earlier conducted Ops Vape 1.0 nationwide from April 13 to 17 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Anti-Drugs Agency, local authorities, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, and Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

The operation focused on inspecting vape-selling premises and tracking individuals involved in the distribution and sale of drug-laced vape products.

“A total of 1,670 vape-selling premises were raided, while five individuals, comprising two local men, a Chinese national and two local women, were arrested under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“JSJN also seized 19.67 kilogrammes of vape liquid suspected to contain Furanyl Fentanyl and 186.54 kilogrammes of vape liquid without drug content, with total seizures valued at RM4.6 million,” he said.

Hussein said JSJN would continue intensifying intelligence gathering, monitoring and joint operations with relevant agencies to curb the distribution of vape products containing prohibited substances.

He also urged parents and the public to monitor their children’s behaviour and not underestimate the growing threat of vape abuse.

Those with information on drug-related activities can contact the JSJN Hotline at 012-208 7222. — Bernama 

KOTA KINABALU, May 15 — Sabah wildlife authorities believe they have uncovered an illegal wildlife parts trading operation in the heart of the city following a raid on an antique shop along Jalan Gaya here two days ago.

In a statement today, Sabah Wildlife Department director Soffian Abu Bakar said the raid uncovered several wildlife parts from protected species, including 16 tusks believed to be from wild boars, nine teeth believed to be from tigers, 10 teeth suspected to be from bears, various edible bird’s nest products of different weights, as well as 13 stones believed to be from porcupines.

A 52-year-old local man, believed to be the owner of the premises, Antique Shop Sdn Bhd, was detained to assist investigations into possession of the illegal items.

The operation was carried out jointly with the Royal Malaysia Police through Bukit Aman’s Wildlife Crime Bureau and Special Investigation Intelligence (WCB/PSK) unit following intelligence gathering and surveillance.

WCB/PSK commander Datuk Mohd Zaki Ashar was previously reported as saying the total estimated value of the seized items was RM5.32 million.

According to him, preliminary interviews found that the suspect admitted purchasing the bird’s nests and porcupine stones from suppliers in the Lintas area without valid licences or permits.

“The protected wildlife parts are believed to have been obtained from villagers in Tawau at low prices before being resold in the local market around Kota Kinabalu.

“All the items did not have any storage licences or permits from the authorities,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Sections 41(1) and 41(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for allegedly possessing, storing and displaying wildlife parts without valid permits.

Under the enactment, offenders can face fines ranging from RM30,000 to RM100,000, imprisonment of between six months and five years, or both.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Police have arrested 187 suspects from nine countries in a major crackdown on international online scam syndicates operating out of the Klang Valley.

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Ismail said the operation, dubbed Op Teguh 2.0, involved 46 raids on residential premises believed to be used as bases for cross-border scam activities.

“The breakdown of arrests that I mentioned earlier shows that these activities are not concentrated in a single country. They appear to have formed syndicates working together to carry out scams, using our country as an operational base.

“Investigations are also ongoing into how the suspects entered the country, including whether through social visit passes or other means,” he told a press conference at Bukit Aman here today.

He said a total of 151 men and 36 women were arrested; some are Malaysians and the rest are from China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar.

Khalid said 24 reports have been filed and are being investigated under several laws, including Section 420 and Section 120B of the Penal Code, Section 5 of the Computer Crimes Act 1997, and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

The assets seized are estimated to be worth RM57.68 million. Among them are:

• Three luxury properties valued at RM38 million
• 20 high-end vehicles worth RM6.58 million
• 67 luxury goods, such as watches, handbags, jewellery, wallets and gold bars, all valued at RM12 million
• 556 digital devices worth RM552,000,
• Cryptocurrency assets worth RM549,786
• Cash in ringgit and foreign currencies
• Debit and credit cards

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail (right) showing some of the luxury vehicles seized from an international scam syndicate operating out of the Klang Valley during a press conference on Op Teguh 2.0 at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on May 15, 2026. — Bernama pic

Preliminary investigations found that victims from Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan were among those targeted by the syndicates.

Khalid said the groups used several scam tactics, including fake investment platforms targeting victims in Hong Kong and China, impersonation scams involving fake Japanese police officers on Telegram, romance scams aimed at victims in Korea and Japan, and illegal online gambling operations.

Asked why Malaysia was frequently used as a base for such activities, Khalid said visa-free entry facilities and other factors may have made the country attractive to syndicates.

He added that all foreign suspects detained possessed valid travel documents based on initial checks.

Police are now working with the Immigration Department and other agencies to monitor the entry of foreign nationals more closely and curb similar activities.