KOTA KINABALU: Police arrested two men and seized over 2.4kg of syabu worth RM87,000 in a narcotics operation at Tawau Airport.
The suspects are aged 44 and 21 and were detained separately after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on two different budget flights between 9.25pm and 10.15pm on Saturday.
Tawau OCPD Asst Comm Jasmin Hussin said the arrests were based on public tip-offs and intelligence from the Tawau district police narcotics unit.
"Police found a total of 2,493.45 grams of substance believed to be syabu. The first suspect has four prior records — two under Section 39B and two under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. All are drug-related," he said during a press conference at the Tawau district police headquarters on Tuesday (May 20).
"The second suspect has two past offences — one for fraud under Section 420 of the Penal Code and another criminal offence."
The first suspect, who arrived earlier, raised suspicion during screening, leading to the discovery of a vacuum device in his luggage.
Subsequent questioning led police to the second suspect, who arrived on a later flight. Checks on his luggage uncovered drink packets, food boxes, and a thermos flask containing the suspected drugs.
Urine tests showed the first suspect tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, while the second suspect tested negative.
Both men have been remanded until May 25 for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
