POLICE foiled an attempt by three men to smuggle out more than 20 kilograms of drugs, believed to be Syabu, worth about RM1 million, to a neighboring country when they were arrested in a raid at Semporna public jetty on January 3, said district chief Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah.

He said that two local men and a foreigner, aged 36 to 38, were apprehended by a team from the Bum Bum police station and the Semporna Narcotics Crime Investigation Division (NCID), who conducted surveillance at the jetty at 6:30 am

“The three men, on board a boat, were approaching the public jetty but docked the boat at the rocky bank next to the jetty when one of them went ashore, and then returned to the boat carrying two bags.

“The suspect who was carrying the bag jumped into the sea after noticing the presence of the police, while one suspect ran towards the rocky bank and another suspect tried to escape by turning on the boat’s engine, but they were all arrested by the police,” he said in a press conference today.

Farhan stated that an inspection of the two bags revealed 20 black plastic packages containing compressed lumps of clear crystal, suspected to be Syabu, with a total weight of 20,227.42 grams. He said that the seized drugs were intended for distribution in the neighbouring country.

Furthermore, he said that the suspects attempted to evade detection by utilising the public jetty early in the morning. This location is typically busy with numerous tourists engaging in island hopping or accessing the resort on the resort island, as well as residents traveling to their villages on nearby islands.

“These suspects use this area hoping that no one will notice, and the police are grateful for the information from the public until all the suspects are caught. All the suspects tested positive for Syabu,” he added.

Farhan said people with any information regarding the case can contact 089-782 020 or the investigating officer Adzilee Suili (014-866 5087).

He said the investigation did not show any link between the suspects and the largest syabu drug syndicate in Sabah as disclosed by Deputy IGP Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay recently. – Bernama, January 11, 2024.