KOTA KINABALU (ANN/THE STAR) – Police have seized over 20 kilogrammes of syabu or methamphetamine worth almost MYR1 million in Sabah’s east coast district of Semporna, the biggest drug bust the district has seen.
The drug syndicate suffered a significant blow when three individuals, one of whom was a foreigner, were apprehended in a raid at the Semporna jetty on January 3.
The arrested suspects, aged between 36 and 38, were found aboard a wooden boat carrying illicit substances intended for sale in a neighbouring country.
“This is the biggest drug bust in Semporna so far,” said district police Chief Superintendent Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah during a press conference on Thursday.
He said a team, comprising officers and personnel from the Bum-Bum police station and Semporna anti-narcotics department, was sent to the location at 6.30am following a tip-off from the public.
The police then spotted the wooden boat near the shore next to the jetty, with the men behaving in a suspicious manner.
“We noticed that one of the men was holding two suitcases.Our men then swooped in onto the boat.
“This prompted the suspects to try and disperse but we managed to arrest them,” Supt Mohd Farhan said.
A further check on the baggage found that they had 20 plastic bags containing what may be syabu. “The drugs weighed 20,227.4g and are worth almost MYR1 million. This supply of drugs could cater to some 5,000 users,” he said.
