RANAU: Two men were detained by the police on suspicion of processing ketum water for the local market.
The arrests were made during two separate raids conducted under Ops Tapis by a team of officers and personnel from the Ranau district police headquarters (IPD).
District police chief, Deputy Superintendent Mursalin Mahmud, said the first raid led to the arrest of a 34-year-old man at an unnumbered house in Kampung Matan.
He said that at the time of the raid, the suspect was in the kitchen of the house.
"During the inspection, equipment for cooking ketum water was found, along with 13 bottles containing dark green liquid suspected to be ketum water.
"Also seized was approximately one kilogramme of processed ketum leaves," he said in a press statement today.
Mursalin stated that on the same day, the raid team seized and arrested a 38-year-old man in Kampung Dumpiring, Kundasang.
He added that the raid uncovered 23 bottles of 1,500-millilitre drinking water used to store a dark liquid suspected to be ketum water.
"The arrests and seizures have been brought to IPD Ranau for further action.
"The case is being investigated under Section 30 (3) of the Poison Act 1952," he said.