KOTA KINABALU: Police arrested two men and a woman and seized 159.8kg of methamphetamine (syabu) worth RM7.99mil in a series of raids around the city on May 22.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the suspects, locals aged between 18 and 49, were detained under Ops Bayu 9, conducted by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department of the state police contingent headquarters.
In the first raid at 3.40pm, police arrested a man carrying a box. He tried to flee towards a nearby shopping mall but was caught.
A search of the box revealed nine packages of suspected drugs weighing 9.1kg.
"Questioning led to a raid on a house in Luyang, where we found 64 torn transparent plastic packets believed to have been used for packaging drugs," Comm Jauteh told a press conference here on Wednesday (June 10).
He said police then raided a hotel in the city, arresting one man and a woman suspected of drug distribution and drug abuse linked to the case.
Subsequent raids, with leads from the suspects, netted 68 packages of drugs weighing 69.8kg at an Inanam apartment and a further 79 packages weighing 80.9kg hidden in a car parked there.
The drugs are believed to have been brought in through a port concealed inside vehicles shipped from Peninsular Malaysia.
Police believe part of the drugs was meant for Sabah's local market, while the remainder was intended for overseas distribution.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"These seizures are the result of continuous intelligence gathering and public cooperation.
"The Royal Malaysia Police will not compromise with anyone involved in drug trafficking. Possessing, trafficking or protecting drug activities is a serious offence under the law," Comm Jauteh stressed. – Bernama
