KOTA KINABALU - Sabah police seized 14 kilogrammes of syabu worth RM840,000 and arrested five men believed to be ‘middlemen’ for drug distribution in several districts in the state, earlier this week.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said preliminary investigations showed that the two locals and three foreigners, aged between 17 and 40, have been active since early this year.
"We are still investigating the link between these five men, at this time we believe that the seized drugs were for local and oversea distribution. There are other suspects we are hunting.
"We believe they are ‘middlemen’ who buy drugs from one party for re-sale,” he told a press conference at the Sabah Police Contingent headquarters here today.
He said the first arrest was made on Sunday (July 3) where a local man was stopped with 10 packets of syabu weighing 10.05 kg in his car at KM 68 of Jalan Sandakan-Lahad Datu.
Jauteh said on the same day, a local and a foreigner were arrested in Semporna with 2.03 kg of syabu.
He said the next day, police arrested a foreigner with 1.07 kg of syabu in Inanam and another foreigner with 1.05 kg of syabu in Tuaran.
"It is estimated that every 10 kg of the syabu drug can supply 50,000 drug addicts for a day, so we hope the community will also be able to play a role in helping police fight drug abuse,” he said.
He said police also confiscated RM164,000 in cash; jewellery worth RM172,000; exclusive bags and watches worth RM90,000; as well as 11 vehicles worth RM790,000 believed to be from drug proceeds.
He said the case was investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. - BERNAMA