KUALA LUMPUR: Health officers who raided a shop lot recently were taken aback when they found a woman in her 50s chanting in a back room, while holding joss sticks.

The smoke from the joss sticks was so thick that the officers' eyes began to water.

A Health Ministry source said the shoplot in Jalan Gombak was raided after receiving a tip-off that a syndicate stored illegal medicines and sex stimulants smuggled from abroad there.

The woman, they learned, was hired to chant prayers and mantras to turn away anyone raiding the premises.

"This latest success was the result of a month's worth of surveillance and intelligence gathering.

"The syndicate's activities had been hard to trace as they hid behind various business fronts," the source said.

"The syndicate had been smuggling various medications and sex stimulants from abroad which did not have Health Ministry certification."

Investigations revealed that the syndicate promoted their business by sticking posters and banners in public places .

"Advertisements were also stuck on public phone booths and traffic lights and had a phone number for customers to contact if they were interested in buying the products."

Enforcement officers found 477 boxes of medicines and sexual stimulant pills worth RM300,000 (S$124,000) and another 455 packets of slimming medicine containing the dangerous compound sibutramine.

Sibutramine is a controlled substance and side effects include dry mouth, nausea, upset stomach, constipation, insomnia, dizziness, drowsiness and muscle pain. It can also substantially increase blood pressure and pulse in some people.

"Investigations revealed the illegal sexual stimulant contained sildenafil nitrate, also a controlled substance, and was sold to the public for RM298 per box. Delivery was normally made by post once payment had been received."

A man in his 30s was detained and his statement recorded to facilitate investigations.

Checks revealed that the syndicate was busted once in 2006 but surfaced again under a different company name.