RM572,000 drugs from nine districts destroyed
TAWAU: Police destroyed 18,319.6893 grams of drugs worth RM572,000 seized in nine districts in Sabah after completion of trials involving 2,914 investigation papers from 2000 to 2016.
Sabah Narcotics Crime Investigation Department head Superitendent Mohamed Fadzil bin A. Rahman said the drugs were seized from Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Kinabatangan, Sandakan, Beluran, Kota Kinabalu and Penampang.
They comprised syabu (7,602.97 grams), heroin (38.51 grams), ganja (4,072.22 grams), nimetazipam/ Eramin 5 (22.91grams), ketamine (322.64 grams), ecstacy (3.50 grams), psychotropic pill (3,944 grams) and non-drugs items like cough medicine, Diazepam and Paracetamol (2,312.94 grams).
He said most of the drugs were seized in bigger districts like Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. They were sent to Sabah from West Malaysia by flights and hidden in travel luggage.
Mohamed Fadzil disclosed this at a press conference before the drugs were disposed of at Sawmill Khas Sdn Bhd factory at Tanjung Batu Laut here yesterday morning.
For the period of January until October, this year, the Sabah Contingent Narcotics Crime Investigation Department had recorded 3,081 drug cases compared to 2,479 cases last year, an increase of 24.2 per cent.
This year, the police detained 3,815 suspects, 22.04 per cent more than last year’s 3,126 suspects. Majority of the suspects were foreigners.
Syabu topped the type of drugs seized in the first 10 months of 2017 (66,602.30 grammes) and 2016 (32,593.69 grammes).
From January to October this year, the amount of ganja seized was 6,898.24 grammes (15,176.98 grammes in 2016), heroin zero grammes (1.60 gm in 2016), Ketamin 153.40 grammes (185.40 grammes in 2016), Ecstacy 231 tablets (681 tablets in 2016), Eramin 5 207 tablets (178 tablets in 2016), Ephedrin 173.42 grammes (zero in 2016) and Ketum leaves 4,804 grammes (zero in 2016).
Mohamed Fadzil said the Sabah Contingent Narcotics Crime Investigation Department would carry out drugs disposal twice in a year. The first one was held in Kuching in June.