Big haul: Comm Jauteh (second from right) and his senior officer showing the seized drugs.
KOTA KINABALU: A food delivery rider and an insurance agent have been arrested and are believed to be part of a drug syndicate involved in supplying syabu to Sabah.
The duo was nabbed after police seized 24.5kg of syabu worth some RM800,000 last Thursday.
Police believe the food delivery rider, a Sabahan aged 24, acted as the drug mule while the 28-year-old insurance agent from the peninsula is one of the leaders of the syndicate behind drugs distribution in the state.
Sabah police chief Comm Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the Sabahan was detained at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) here at 8.30am.
He said police had monitored a flight from Kuala Lumpur after being informed that the man had brought prohibited items in his carry-on luggage.
Comm Jauteh said anti-narcotics personnel from KKIA and the state police headquarters stopped the suspect who was carrying two bags that contained 23 boxes of low-glycaemic index rice.
The drugs were found in the bags.
“The suspect is believed to be a drug mule who collected drugs from Kuala Lumpur and transported them to locations ordered by the syndicate.
“He was paid RM1,000 for every kilogramme of drugs he brought into Sabah.
“Our probe also found the drugs that were brought in from the peninsula were meant for the local market and could supply up to 81,000 people,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Comm Jauteh said after questioning the suspect, police detained the second suspect in the state capital.
He added that police were investigating where the drugs were obtained in the peninsula and how the suspect could have managed to bring them onto the plane.
“We also seized personal items like jewellery, mobile phones, a laptop and cash from the suspects.
“After being questioned, the first suspect admitted to transporting drugs worth some RM10,000 to a neighbouring state previously,” he said.
Comm Jauteh said the police expect to make more arrests soon.
The suspects have been remanded until Nov 15 for further investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
