51-year-old gets life imprisonment for trafficking 25.9kg of meth in Serian

KUCHING (Sept 3): The High Court here today sentenced a 51-year-old man to life imprisonment for trafficking 25.9kg of methamphetamine three years ago.

Judge Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah convicted Ismawi Saruji on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act.

Ismawi committed the offence at KM8 Jalan Tebedu-Serian in Serian at 5.45am on Sept 18, 2021.

Based on the facts of the case, a team of General Operations Force personnel had set up an observation point at the Pasar Bandar Mutiara area in Tebedu, Serian.

The team spotted a gold multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) traveling from Serian to the Tebedu Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complex, pursued it to Kampung Sejijak on Jalan Tebedu-Serian, and eventually overtook it.

An inspection of the vehicle found four backpacks, each containing packets of crystalline substances suspected to be methamphetamine drugs.

All the items suspected to be dangerous drugs and the MPV were seized, and Ismawi was subsequently arrested and taken to the Tebedu police station for further investigation.

The four backpacks were then weighed at the police station, where the gross weight of each bag was 9,000 grammes.

The chemist’s report dated Oct 26, 2021 confirmed that the items were methamphetamine drugs weighing 25,991.3 grammes.

The investigation found Ismawi admitted he was in possession of the drugs seized in this case and had knowledge of the same.

He also admitted to trafficking the drugs on the day of the raid.

Ismawi had rented the MPV and used it on the day of the raid for the purpose of drug trafficking.

Deputy public prosecutor Yong Suk Hui handled the prosecution while Ismawi was represented by assigned counsels Abang Mohd Tosen Abang Sharbini and Candida Entri.