IPOH, Sept 27 — Police detained an Indonesian man and seized syabu worth RM1.74 million by the roadside at Bagan Lipas Laut, Rungkup in Bagan Datuk yesterday.

State police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the 56-year-old suspect was arrested at about 12.55am yesterday by a team from the Hilir Perak district police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division.

"Checks on the suspect led to the discovery of two gunny sacks containing drugs believed to be syabu weighing 29 kilogrammes (kg) worth RM1.74 million.

"Following interrogations it was found that the unemployed man has allegedly been using a small boat to meet individuals in the middle of the sea to export drugs to Indonesia. The drugs can be supplied to about 300,000 addicts,” he told a press conference here today.

Mior Faridalathrash said the suspect’s urine test was found negative, adding that the man who has no previous criminal record and has been involved in the activity for the past three months was on seven-day remand from yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mior Faridalathrash said in a separate incident, police arrested a married couple and seized various types of drugs at a house in Changkat Jong in Teluk Intan, last Saturday.

He said the duo, aged 37 and 28, were arrested in a raid at 3.35pm and on inspection police found heroin weighing 4.18 kg and syabu weighing 409.85 grams worth RM150,000.

"Only the male suspect tested positive for drugs,” he said adding that the man has four previous convictions and the couple has been remanded for six days from yesterday.

Mior Faridalathrash said following the arrest of the couple, five local men, aged 18 to 32 were detained in three raids conducted in Teluk Intan on the same day.

He said syabu weighing 5.61 grams and cannabis weighing 1.57 grams estimated to be worth RM640 were seized, and the five have been remanded for four days from yesterday to facilitate investigations. — Bernama