Three men who used courier to move drugs arrested

andychua@thestar.com.my

SIBU: Three men who used courier services to distribute over 1kg of drugs concealed as Chinese tea have been arrested by Sabah police.

According to Deputy OCPD Supt Collin Babat, a police team acting on a tip-off nabbed a 25-year-old coffeeshop helper at a courier company in Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg at about noon yesterday.

“Upon close inspection, a packet which had been labelled as refined Chinese tea, was seized. Inside was 1,019.10g of methamphetamine,” he said.

Supt Collin said the suspect led police to a hotel in Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce where two more suspects were arrested.

“The two suspects, both aged 24, are jobless. Various items worth a total of RM226,791 were seized,” he said.

The items comprised a sport utility vehicle (RM120,000), jewellery (RM24,150), a passenger car (RM45,000), a wrist watch (RM450), RM35,191 in cash and gaming equipment (RM2,000).

Supt Collin said initial investigations showed that the suspects would engage the services of a courier company to distribute the drugs.

“We cannot reveal the source of the drugs as investigations are ongoing. But we believe the drugs are for the local market,” he said.

He added that the three suspects had only recently started to traffic drugs.

All three have been remanded for six days to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act.

The offence carries the mandatory death penalty, if convicted.