Kota Kinabalu: Police seized 39.5kg of suspected Syabu worth about RM1.26 million following a raid on a house in Taman Donggongon, Penampang, on Tuesday night.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the raid was carried out at 11.30pm on Jan. 6 after a public tip-off regarding suspicious items believed linked to drug activities.
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He said two men from the peninsula, aged 28 and 29, were arrested and police discovered 40 packages filled with almost 200 chopping boards containing suspected Syabu.
“In a first-of-its-kind modus operandi, the drugs were concealed inside modified chopping boards.
“Each board could store up to 200gm of syabu by carving out compartments inside,” he told a press conference, Thursday.
Investigations showed the suspects acted as transporters before distributing the drugs to other parties.
He said both suspects, who are believed to reside in Kuala Lumpur, tested positive for drugs, while one of them has previous conviction record of involvement in several criminal cases.
“Initial investigations also revealed that the syndicate used courier services to transport the drugs inside the chopping boards from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah via sea routes.
“We believe that the drugs were intended for local distribution and could potentially supply up to 160,000 users for a single use,” he said.
Both suspects have been remanded until Jan. 14 to facilitate investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which denotes the death penalty by hanging, upon conviction.
He said police would enhance cooperation with relevant agencies, including Bukit Aman, to curb such smuggling tactics, particularly through cargo entry points.
He did not rule out further arrests as investigations continue.
“If we are adequately equipped at entry points, we can better trace and detect drug trafficking through cargo. We will be holding discussions with relevant agencies to strengthen enforcement measures,” Jauteh said.
