It was a well-planned sting operation to catch suspected heroin dealers and the police operation went without a hitch, thanks to Bukit Aman's special tactical intelligence narcotics group (Sting).

This morning, a team of Sting policemen detained two men and seized 25kg of heroin worth RM500,000 during an operation on two houses in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

The police also uncovered a drug-processing laboratory at one of the houses in the blitz about 9am.

Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar ( photo ) congratulated the Sting team for the success on his Twitter account.

"Congratulations STING@PDRMsia for discovering a drug-processing laboratory in Bayan Lepas, Penang. Seizing more than 25kg of heroin, arresting two men. Go PDRM, go," he tweeted.

According to a police source, based on information from the public and tip-off, the Sting policemen raided a house which had been turned into a drug-processing laboratory and detained a man.

"In that house, the police seized heroin and drug-making paraphernalia which were believed to have been used to process the drug, namely chemical powder, thinner, chloroform and electric hot plate, among others," he told Bernama in George Town today.

Tracking down remaining members

The police source said the first arrest led the team to another house which was located not far from the first house before another man was nabbed.

The police believed the second house was used as a store to conceal the drug before it was circulated to the drug trafficking syndicate's network, added the source.

He said the suspects, in their 30s, would be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

The police are in the midst of tracking down the remaining members of the syndicate which had been operating over the past few months.

- Bernama