KOTA KINABALU: A cargo container declared as carrying drinks turned out instead to be stuffed with boxes of syabu weighing over 300kg.
The shipping container had arrived at the Sepanggar Port here from Port Klang, Selangor, and was undergoing screening when Customs enforcement personnel saw 15 boxes inside.
Sabah Customs director Dr Ahmad Taufik Sulaiman said upon inspection, officers including those from the Narcotics and Import Export Divisions, found methamphetamine (syabu) weighing 305.722kg inside the boxes.
“The drugs were worth about RM15.2mil. They were declared as drinks on the Bill of Landing as a cover-up,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Ahmad Taufik said the drugs were seized on April 22 and the case was being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or a life sentence upon conviction.
“Drug syndicates are getting more devious and switching to all sorts of tactics to evade detection,” he said, adding that the department will tighten border control to prevent smuggling.
Ahmad Taufik urged the public to continue helping in the fight against smuggling and to call the Customs toll free number at 1-800-88-8855 or the nearest Customs office if they have information.
He assured that the identities of informers will be kept private and confidential.
