Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Police have disrupted the sale of drug-laced vapes containing furanylfentanyl, a synthetic opioid dubbed the 'zombie drug.' The operation targeted vape shops in Kuala Lumpur over a five-day period.
Furanylfentanyl is an illegal street variant of fentanyl, up to 100 times stronger than morphine, posing a severe overdose risk. Fentanyl, despite its medical use as an analgesic, is strictly controlled in Malaysia.
Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department Director Hussein Omar Khan announced that approximately 18.5kg of furanylfentanyl was seized, along with other illicit substances and paraphernalia. The total value of the seizures is estimated at RM4.6 million (US$1.16 million).
The operation, named Op Vape 1.0, ran from April 13 to April 17. Five individuals were arrested during raids in Taman Bukit Cheras and Sentul. Suspects have been remanded pending investigation.
Seizures included nine bottles of furanylfentanyl liquid weighing 16.8kg from an April 13 raid, and 155 vape cartridges and MDMA powder from operations on April 17.
Authorities inspected 1,670 vape outlets nationwide, with 728 found to be in violation of regulations. In total, 20 individuals were arrested, and substantial quantities of drugs and vape devices were confiscated.