Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Khaw Kok Chin (centre) showing the gas cylinders used to transport the drugs. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Drugs packed into empty gas cylinders were found in a house in Miri, says the Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department.
Its director Comm Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said the drugs worth RM716,100 were seized during a raid on a house in Miri on Sunday (March 17).
He said four men and two women were arrested in the raid, including a driver and passenger who were in a car in front of the house.
"We found drugs believed to be syabu or methamphetamine in the house with a total weight of 21,700g.
"In this case, the modus operandi (MO) involved cutting open the bottom of gas cylinders and putting in 10 packets of drugs each.
"We found 20 packets of drugs in two cylinders," he told a press conference at state police headquarters here on Tuesday (March 19).
Comm Khaw said the drugs were believed to be brought in from Peninsular Malaysia and meant for distribution in a neighbouring country.
He said the arrested car driver - dubbed B1 by police - was a transporter paid RM20,000 by a syndicate to recruit other people to deliver the drugs.
"He recruited one of the suspects with a payment of RM3,000 to deliver the drugs to Sri Aman.
"So the supply came from the peninsula in baggage which was then placed into a car near (Miri) airport.
"From there B1 was tasked to bring it to the house to be packed into gas cylinders to be sent to Jalan Batu Lintang in Sri Aman to be delivered to the neighbouring country," he said.
Comm Khaw said police also seized cash totalling RM52,000, jewellery estimated to be worth RM54,941 and four vehicles worth RM194,000.
He said the syndicate in this case was believed to have been operating for two to three months.
The suspects are aged between 28 to 50 and have been remanded for three days until March 21 to assist the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act for drug trafficking.
