Kota Kinabalu: Sabah police foiled an attempt to traffic 46.4kg of syabu worth RM1.484 million in an operation in Semporna, recently.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the success came as a result of swift action by officers from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) of the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) following a tip-off.
He said at about 6.30am on Oct 19, a police patrol team intercepted a suspicious vehicle driven by a man along Jalan Kg Air, Semporna, carrying four large brown boxes.
“Upon inspection, the boxes were found to contain 45 packets of suspected syabu, with a total weight of 46.4kg and an estimated value of RM1.484 million,” he told a press conference at IPK Sabah, Wednesday.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Jauteh said the suspect was an illegal immigrant residing on Pulau Pababag, Semporna.
“The amount 46.4kg could supply around 350,000 drug users for a single use,” he added.
Jauteh said the suspect has been remanded until Oct 26, 2025 to assist with further investigations.
Police also arrested another suspect at a house without a number on Pulau Denawan, Semporna, based on information obtained from the first arrest.
“Although no drugs were found on the second suspect, investigations revealed that the seized drugs are believed to have originated from Kota Kinabalu before being transported to Semporna,” he said.
He added that the second suspect, also a foreign national without valid documents, is being investigated to identify the drug distribution network operating in the State.
Meanwhile, Jauteh said NCID Sabah also recorded other recent successes, including the seizure of 1.01 kg of syabu in front of a hotel here on Oct 20 and the confiscation of 591 grammes of cannabis at Kota Kinabalu International Airport on Sept 15.
“All these successes are the result of public cooperation in providing valuable information to the police. This highlights the importance of the community as a strategic partner of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in combating drug trafficking activities in Sabah,” he said.
