JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: Police have busted a mega drug lab in the city with the seizure of 260kg of drugs worth RM44mil in the biggest drug haul in Malaysia this year.

The drugs are believed to have been for the international market.

Thirteen men, comprising six Mexicans, four Singaporeans, one Canadian and two locals were arrested while over RM551,900 in cash was also recovered in two raids.

Federal narcotics crime investigations department director Comm Datuk Zul Hasnan Najib Baharuddin said the raids were conducted simultaneously in two places on March 4 by narcotics officers from Bukit Aman and the state police headquarters.

"The first raid was on a house in Taman Pelangi where five foreigners were arrested and 45.8kg of ketamine and other chemical substances were seized," he said.

The second was on a factory in Senai, which had been functioning as an illegal mega drugproducing lab, with police confiscating 215kg of syabu or methamphetamine in both solid and liquid forms.

Three Mexicans and two Singaporeans were also arrested in that raid. Another Mexican was arrested later at a hotel while the two locals were arrested along Jalan Utama of Kampung Melaju Majidee.

Comm Zul Hasnan said that around RM551,900 in cash including S$156,000 (RM357,800) was recovered from one of the men, but declined to specify his nationality.

"Mexicans traditionally deal with cocaine, but there is a global trend now towards meth. We are still trying to locate the mastermind behind the syndicate," he said adding that a chemist was among those arrested .

Police are also conducting background checks with the assistance of Interpol to ascertain whether the foreign suspects have criminal records in their home countries.

All 11 foreigners had valid travel documents and passports and are believed to have entered from the north.

Comm Zul Hasnan, who called the operation a great success, declined to say how long the men had been under police surveillance.

Police also seized four vehicles - a Honda MPV, a Honda City, a Mitsubishi Storm and a Proton Wira -in the two raids.

meera@thestar.com.my