NGO Claims Finding Traces Of Potent Drug Fentanyl In Malaysia
Fentanyl, said to be more potent than morphine and heroin, has caused many drug overdose deaths in the United States.
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The dangerous drug fentanyl has allegedly reached Malaysia according to crime watchdog Malaysians Against Rape, Assault, and Snatch Theft.
NST reported that the NGO group took the sewage samples from Lembah Subang and found traces of the drug.
Its founder, Dave Avran, urged the authorities to take swift and stern action to identify where the traces of fentanyl originated from and cripple any syndicate attempting to peddle the drugs.
Fentanyl is a potent and deadly drug that is responsible for nearly 70% of the United States’ drug overdose deaths in 2023.
Police confirm fentanyl trace in sewage water
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay confirmed the sewage water analysis in Lembah Subang contained traces of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Ayob said the results showed there are potentially hidden drug processing labs in the area. The authorities will be testing other sites nationwide to accurately monitor the drug trend.
The analysis was possible due to the collaboration between the Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
The collaboration with UKM produced the biosensor test kit using the timsTOF analyser machine, which provides faster and more accurate results.
Ayob said the test kit and machine is a game changer in tracing drug types.
How fatal is fentanyl?
To give an idea of the fentanyl’s potency, the drug is said to be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that 1kg of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. Two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to give a lethal dose.
The fentanyl epidemic in the US was covered in an episode of Patriot Act, where the host Hasan Minhaj tried to discern how the drug has been able to wreak havoc in the country. The show is available to watch on Netflix.
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