Firemen stumble on syabu processing lab at penthouse

Firemen who rushed to a condominium block in Taman Sungai Besi after receiving a distress call, uncovered a makeshift syabu processing laboratory at a penthouse instead.

When the 15-man team from the Bandar Tun Razak Fire and Rescue Department arrived at the scene about 12.10pm Friday, it discovered there was no fire at the premises.

Rather, the smoke detector at the penthouse had been triggered.

Initial investigations revealed that an assortment of chemicals used at the penthouse which was suspected to have been used as a syabu processing laboratory had caused the smoke detector to go off.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department Senior Assistant Superintendent M. Letchumanan said: "We believe a group was processing syabu at the penthouse when the smoke detector was triggered.

"They escaped before we could arrive at the scene after being alerted of a smoke. There was no fire whatsoever... but the smoke detector was triggered as a result of several chemicals being processed (at the syabu processing laboratory).

He said firemen also found various types of bottles and chemical powders at the penthouse.