MIRI: In a significant operation led by the state narcotics police, four individuals, including a woman, were apprehended in two raids carried out in Permyjaya here on Saturday.
The raids resulted in the confiscation of 105.02kg of syabu valued at RM3.36 million.
During a press conference on Monday (Aug 26), Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata confirmed the operation’s specifics, which unfolded at two residences within the vicinity.
These raids signify the second-largest drug seizure in Sarawak for 2024, after a significant bust in Miri back in 2014.
The suspects, ranging from 30 to 50 years old, are presently under a seven-day remand, granted from August 25 to September 1, to aid in the ongoing investigations.
Among those arrested were three local men, aged 32 to 52, two of whom have previous records of drug and criminal offences. Additionally, a 26-year-old female foreign national was taken into custody.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that Miri was being utilized as a transit hub for drug distribution,” noted Datuk Mancha Ata.
All suspects tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, heightening concerns about their involvement in the drug trade.
Furthermore, the operation led to the confiscation of an RM39,000 Ford Focus. Investigations unveiled that the drug supplies were sourced from Peninsular Malaysia via sea, with the suspects employing a residential property as a storage facility.
Allegedly, the suspects distributed the drugs to buyers based on directives from higher-ups, earning monthly wages ranging from RM3,500 to RM12,000.
The case is being probed under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which stipulates the death penalty or life imprisonment, with a minimum of 12 lashes if the death penalty is not imposed.
