POLICE NAB 13, SEIZE RM15 MIL SYABU

INSPECT.....Noor Rashid (third left) inspecting some of the materials used by the syndicate to process the drugs.

KOTA KINABALU: The police have crippled an international drug syndicate based in Sabah with the arrest of 13 people and seized a total of 74.98 kilograms of syabu worth about RM15 million after stumbling on a drug processing laboratory.

All 74 plastic packets that contained the drugs were found locked in two iron safes in an apartment at Jalam Kolombong here on Feb 4.

The police also seized numerous items used by the syndicate, namely 47.7 kilograms of ephedrine precursor material to process the drugs, 198 bottles of red phosphorus, as well as chemicals such as acetone and magnesium sulfate.

Royal Malaysia Police narcotics director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said six raids were conducted by the police from Bukit Aman and Kota Kinabalu after months of surveillance and investigations.

“Investigations revealed that there was an international drug syndicate operating in Sabah by locals and members from Hong Kong who had set up a laboratory to process the drugs.

“Six separate raids were made and the police have detained 13 men, including three citizens from Hong Kong, aged 25 to 53.

“One of the suspects is also a wanted man who calls himself ‘King Syabu’, and was sought after by the police, and who had been working with the three suspects from Hong Kong,” he said at a press conference at the city police headquarters in Karamunsing here yesterday.

CONFISCATED .....Noor Rashid (centre) with the confiscated luxury vehicles.

Also present were Sabah Narcotics Department head Superintendent Abdul Rahim Dolmat, deputy city police chief Superintendent M.Chandra and city narcotics investigation chief ASP Ahmad Jawilah Noor Rashid.

The police also seized three luxury vehicles, namely a Porsche, a BMW and a Mercedes Benz, and cash amounting to RM31,946 and HKD28,880.

He said the police believed the syabu and the materials used to process the drugs were brought in a container from Africa to Kota Kinabalu.

He also said the drugs seized were the biggest this year and the case would be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952, which carries the death penalty upon conviction. (BP)