Sabah customs dept seizes drugs worth RM2.89mil

PETALING JAYA: The customs department successfully seized 98.33kg of methamphetamine and cannabis worth RM2.89 million in three separate raids in Sabah recently.

Bernama reported Sabah customs assistant director-general Siti Mang as saying the Sabah zone narcotics branch intercepted three packages suspected of containing drugs at a MASkargo warehouse on Nov 28.

“We discovered 60.977kg of a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine, with an estimated value of RM1.95 million,” she told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today.

Siti said a second operation at the same location on Dec 9 led to the seizure of two more packages of methamphetamine weighing 20.201kg, worth about RM696,114.

The third operation, at the Pos Aviation facility in Kota Kinabalu, between Nov 28 and Dec 20 resulted in the seizure of 28 packages containing 17.15kg of cannabis, worth RM250,038.30.

A customs enforcement team in Kota Kinabalu also inspected a container at Sepanggar Port on Jan 2 and found 50 boxes of chewing tobacco valued at RM38,500, with unpaid taxes amounting to RM156,310.

“The importer failed to present the necessary import permit for the goods. These are prohibited items and their importation is only allowed with a valid permit,” she said.