Aiyoh, just when you thought Malaysian property prices couldn't get wilder, a three storey bungalow in Cheras decided to moonlight as a drug factory. This isn't your ah beng secret operation lah, literally make Bolehland police stare until their eyes popped out last week.

Imagine this. Sweat dripping down their faces, Bukit Aman's narcotics team kicks down doors to find industrial scale mixing pots bubbling away like steamboat dinners. The haul? Enough white powder to make every pharmacist in Mid Valley Megamall faint. Fourteen plus tonnes of ketamine here, four tonnes of cocaine there, plus that MDMA nightclub favorite you thought only existed in European music festivals. All totaled up to RM1.53 billion, kena cheaper than SPH Media's digital subscription drive some more.

Police say could have supplied 68 million users. That number hah? More than twice Malaysia's entire population. Either math siao or somebody planning to make Borneo rainforest animals party all night. Also found ah, six cars worth RM389k. Should have bought Bitcoin better.

Now the kopi shop question. How did international syndicates set up shop in Klang Valley since April without anyone raising eyebrows? Commercial premises turned drug labs. Girlfriends from overseas 'helping' the operation. Local fellas playing Breaking Bad chemistry teacher with ketamine. All happening while the rest of us worried about teh tarik prices and whether Singapore boleh win Olympic gold for queuing.

This bust feels like that time Johor Sultan complained about drug dens operating near his palace. Confirm plus chop many red flags got swept under the carpet. Customs officers mysteriously not noticing illegal shipments going out. Landlords probably too busy collecting rent to check what chemicals tenants bringing in. The way this geng operated makes you wonder whether Gothere.sg should start 'Avoid Drug Factory' route updates.

But give credit where due lah. Bukit Aman's special branch deserves nasi lemak bungkus with extra sambal for this one. Acting on public tipoffs, coordinating multiple raids, and netting six suspects 'including some foreigners better not named' shows real police work happening behind those balaclava masks. Our Melaka Raya friends jealous cannot jealous.

Sad truth, Southeast Asia's drug pipelines getting more creative than Lazada sale tactics. Remember Indonesia's US$590m meth seizure involving fishing boats last year. Philippine shabu floating in plastic barrels near Corregidor. Thailand's yaba pills crossing borders like GrabFood riders during lunch rush. Our regional governments always playing whack a pill while syndicates laugh inside their underground vaults.

What makes Malaysia's case sting extra is how domestic the operation became. Local storekeeper managing logistics. Commercial units rented under legitimate business names. Even got girlfriend trio 'helping', which sounds like bad Korean drama plot. Dah lah, Malaysia property oversupply problem solved if every vacant shoplot doubles as narco storage.

Zoom out a bit. Unlicensed pharma factories growing faster than bubbles in bubble tea indicates two worrying trends. First, consumer demand makes dark web Tor users look like pasar malam aunties. Second, enforcement gaps that even Grab driver can spot five miles away. When three tonnes of ketamine can be processed three doors down from police station, probably need review our neighborhood watch schemes ya.

Good news is generators still humming at police headquarters. Dangerous Drugs Act forfeitures on those cars show financial follow through most politicians only dream about. Rapid remand until December 23 speaks to courts not dragging feet like kueh shops during lunch hour. This may finally be the watershed case that forces ASEAN narcotics boards to start sharing WhatsApp groups for real time tracking.

The human angle cannot overlook. Every brick of drugs seized means fewer disappeared teens in Seksyen 18 cyber cafes. Fewer overdosed foreigners floating off Changi's beaches. Less prison overcrowding from small time pushers while big fish swim away. From factory workers hooked on stimulants to families destroyed by addiction trail, this bust touches thousands unseen.

But wah, still cannot comprehend the numbers lah. Ten tonnes of ketamine liquid? Tumpang container lorry boleh fill Olympic swimming pool half way. Fourteen tonnes powder form can make entire Langkawi beach sparkle. Criminal organizations clearly taking 'Gig Economy' concept to haram extremes.

Silver lining. This Caesar salad of chaos confirms regional cooperation improving despite South China Sea political dramas. Next ASEAN summit should include 'How to Spot Drug Bungalows' workshop. Malaysia sets precedent for tough property seizures others should adopt. Philippines confiscated a jet ski used for smuggling last year 'need step up game lah.

So as we sip kopi O wondering when news like this becomes uncommon, remember progress comes slow then fast. With police nationwide combing industrial areas like Singapore visa officers checking passports, maybe someday Southeast Asian streets will be cleaner than BTS concert mosh pits. Until then, eyes wide open lah, our neighborhoods more Netflix thriller material than we realized.