Customs Dept seizes 102.99kg of syabu worth RM5.6m in Sandakan

SANDAKAN: The Customs Department seized 102.99kg of syabu worth RM5.6 million in connection with the arrest of five men at the Sandakan Airport on Tuesday.
Director-General Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy said the suspects aged between 19 and 26, were picked up at 9.35am upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur on board an AirAsia flight.
He said the drugs were seized from five luggage bags carried by the suspects at the arrival checkpoint, adding that the men were remanded for 12 days.
The case is investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
According to Subromaniam, the drug packages were wrapped in plastic, aluminium foil and carbon paper to avoid being detected by scanners.
"We now have sophisticated scanners that can detect drug packages in luggage bags, as well as risk management to identify suspicious passengers," he said.
According to him, this is the second drug bust by the Sabah Customs involving smuggling via air. — Bernama