Published on: Thursday, February 07, 2013 |
Kota Kinabalu: Two suspected drug mules were nabbed at the Pasir Putih riverbank near Tanjung Batu Logpond in Tawau and 1.5kg of syabu worth RM440,000 was seized from them early Monday.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said, the arrest was made by a police team from Tawau led by Cpl Justin Lakai at 6.40am.
It was learnt that the duo, a 24-year-old local and his 34-year-old foreign accomplice were spotted behaving in a suspicious manner near the riverbank.
"One was sitting in a Proton Iswara while the other was standing outside the vehicle. However, one of them tried to escape upon realising police presence," said Hamza during a media conference at the Kepayan Police Headquarters, Wednesday.
Police discovered 13 plastic packets containing 1.5kg of syabu cleverly packed in two "Ali CafŽ Power Root" packets hidden in a backpack filled with clothes in the vehicle.
"A total of RM29,445, Rp3.6million, a gold ring with nine stones and a necklace with a silver locket were also seized from the duo," he said, adding that their arrest also led to the confiscation of a Toyota Hilux parked at the suspects house believed to have been used for drug smuggling.
Both men tested negative for drugs and had no previous criminal records.
They would be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988.
Police are investigating where the drugs were to be sent and whether they were involved with international syndicates. They would be under remand until Feb. 11.
"Their modus operandi was to move at dawn through the sea route to avoid detection and we believe they are trained to know the route well," he said, adding that based on investigations, this was not the first time they smuggled drugs out of the State.
This was the police's biggest drug bust this year with a total of 50 arrests for supplying drugs in January compared to a total of 48 arrest over the same period last year.
As of January this year, police confiscated a total of 580.43gm of syabu, 20.43gm of marijuana, 6.20gm of ketamine, five grammes Ecstasy and seven grammes of Eramin 5.
