TAWAU: A total of 1, 018 gram of syabu worth about RM100,000 was seized from a man from Nunukan at Batu-Batu Sabindo here at about 7am on Sunday – confirming complaints by Kalimantan Utara Governor Bapak Iriyanto that drugs are being smuggled into Kalimantan through Sabah.
Sabah Marine Police Commander, ACP Mohamad Madun said, the drugs, believed to have been transited here is the biggest seizure for Sabah marine police so far this year.
Also present at the press conference was Tawau Marine Police Commanding Officer ASP Krishnan Ramasamy and case Investigating Officer Insp. N. Nalini from the Narcotics Department here.
The latest seizure followed the arrest of a 33-year-old Indonesian who confessed to carrying a bag containing syabu.
Mohamad said the team on Ops Landai duty were patrolling the area on boat when they saw the man sitting suspiciously at Pantai Batu-Batu about 20 metres from the shore.
“As our team approached and introduced themselves, the man tried to flee but was apprehended after the drugs were found on him,” he said, adding that the man had an Indonesian International Labour Card.
Mohamad said the drugs were found in a green plastic bag containing two round packets wrapped with brown adhesive tape, adding that each packet contained ten packets of the white crystalline substance.
A Nokia cell phone worth RM100, two t-shirts and documents were also confiscated from the man.
“We are now investigating where the drug was processed and which country was it being sent to and whether the man has previous records,” he said.
“We are also working closely with our Indonesian counterparts to identify those involved in any crimes within our border, including drug transit,” he added.
When asked on claims that Tawau has become a transit point for drugs, as often reported in Indonesia media, he said there has been several drug arrests in Indonesia which resulted from action on information sharing between Malaysian and Indonesian enforcement.
On that note, he assured that the marine police are committed to keeping the waters safe from enemy threats which include smuggling and drug trafficking.
Governor Iriyanto had complained to former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Mohd Salleh early this year that Malaysia had not honoured its pledge to station personnel at properly constructed checkpoints at several points along the border although the Indonesian side had complied long ago.
He said the rat trails on the Malaysian side enabled the traffickers to slip in the drugs into Nunukan which then find their way to other parts of Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
