Cops foil bid to smuggle syabu from Tawau to Sarawak

BELURAN (June 18): Police crippled an attempt by two suspects to smuggle 4.072 kilogrammes of Syabu from Tawau to Sarawak after the General Operations Force stopped a car for inspection at the Sapi Nangoh Road Check Point (RCP) here on Friday (June 14).

Beluran district police chief Supt Hasan Majid said during the 11 am incident, one of the two suspects, aged 43, was detained at the Sapi Nangoh RCP while the driver of the Proton Saga car with registration number SYR7763, managed to escape by speeding off during inspection.

However, police have identified the suspect who escaped the scene as Justin Vau Langat, 27, who has previous criminal records in Negeri Sembilan for drug related offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, while his last known address as Long Nahan Baram, Sarawak.

“Initial investigations revealed that the suspects came to Tawau to pick up the Syabu and were headed back to Sarawak where the drugs would be distributed or sold in the local market,” he told reporters here Tuesday.

Hasan said during the incident, police had stopped the Proton Saga car and one of the suspects had accompanied police to open the booth of the car where a black plastic bag was found.

“However, the driver suddenly pressed on the accelerator and sped off towards Jalan Telupid-Ranau. When the black plastic bag was opened, four red packets labelled as Chinese tea were found. All four packets contained Syabu valued at RM130,304,” he said.

He added that the suspect who would be remanded for seven days and investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, has two previous drugs related to records and also tested positive for drugs.

Hasan urged anyone with information to contact the Investigation Officer Insp Mohd Solahuddin Mohamad at 019-9810144 or contact the Beluran district police headquarters at 089-5111222. – Bernama