KOTA KINABALU – A painstaking month-long surveillance stint on suspected drug dealers paid off for police here when they scored the city’s biggest drug haul this year and got closer to busting a syndicate.
The Kota Kinabalu police seized close to 17kg of syabu (methamphetamines) and arrested two men aged 28 and 31 following the stake-out at a luxury condominium where the suspects were staying near here.
The bust is also the largest the city police has made in the last five years.
Kota Kinabalu police chief Habibi Majinji said the suspects are now being remanded for seven days. He said they are believed to be part of a drug syndicate still active in the city.
“The market value of the drugs is estimated to be around RM669,803, enough to supply up to 80,000 drug users. The syabu was meant to be sold here and also nearby districts.
“The two suspects, who do not have permanent jobs, also had no previous criminal records, but one of them tested positive for drugs,” he said during a press conference here today.
Habibi said four vehicles were also seized in the raid, including a Ford Ranger, all used to store the drugs.
No drugs were found in the suspects’ apartment, said Habibi, adding that a probe is still ongoing to capture the syndicate’s masterminds.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1972 for trafficking in dangerous drugs, he added. – The Vibes, December 31, 2020
