KOTA KINABALU: A drug trafficking syndicate’s attempt to outsmart authorities was thwarted when police seized over 2kg of syabu during a raid at a car workshop in Kampung Tator, Hilltop, in Tawau, recently.
Tawau OCPD Asst Comm Jasmin Hussin said the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division also detained three men at the workshop at around 11.30am and confiscated a box containing the suspected drugs.
“The raid was conducted on Monday (July 7). Following the arrests, police carried out further investigations and detained another man at Tawau Airport at 1.30pm on the same day.
“All four suspects, aged between 29 and 64, include three Malaysians and one foreign national from a neighbouring country. The total seizure was about RM74,500,” he said in a statement on Friday (July 11).
Initial urine tests showed all suspects were negative for drugs, though one had two prior criminal records.
The man arrested at the airport is believed to be the supplier, while the three at the workshop included the syndicate leader and two distributors.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had arrived in Tawau on July 6 and was planning to fly to Kota Kinabalu the following day, on the same day he was arrested.
The drugs are believed to have been brought into Tawau by land from outside the district.
ACP Jasmin said the syndicate had hidden the drugs in packaging labelled as “dried durian,” unlike the previous trend of using Chinese tea packets.
“This is one of the tactics used by drug syndicates to mislead authorities. Although the packaging resembled dried food, it actually contained syabu,” he said.
The workshop, owned by the syndicate leader, was used as a temporary storage site but was not considered the main base of operations.
“This tactic of using a legitimate business front is part of their effort to mask illegal activities,” he added.
Investigations are ongoing to identify links between this syndicate and others believed to be operating in other states.
All four suspects have been remanded until July 15.
