SEMPORNA: A 20-year-old foreigner was arrested on Thursday for suspected drug trafficking, after police seized 55.50 grammes of a substance believed to be syabu during an operation at the Semporna bus station.
District Police Chief, Supt Tan Hiap Wah, said that a team from the Narcotic Crime Investigation Division, acting on a tip-off, detained the suspect at around 9.30am. The man, who was carrying a pink bag and behaving suspiciously, was approached by police.
Upon inspection of the bag, officers found two brown boxes containing 23 plastic packets of the same brand, along with another green-colored plastic.
Further inspection revealed a translucent plastic packet inside the green plastic, which contained the suspected Syabu.
The suspect, along with the seized drugs, was taken to Semporna Police Headquarters for further investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952.
If convicted, the suspect faces the death penalty or life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of 15 strokes of the cane if sentenced to life imprisonment.
Supt Tan emphasized that police would continue to intensify operations to combat drug trafficking and would take a firm stand against individuals involved in such activities.
He also urged the public to cooperate by providing any information regarding drug-related activities in the area by contacting the police.
