KOTA KINABALU, Jan 12 — Sabah police seized RM1.99 million worth of drugs believed to be methamphetamine weighing 55.4 kilogrammes (kg) in two raids here on January 4 and 9 and arrested a 50-year-old unemployed local man to assist in investigations.

Sabah Police deputy commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said they believed that this was the work of a syndicate which shipped the drugs from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu using courier service by declaring them as aquarium equipment.

He said that based on information shared with the Kuala Lumpur Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, police conducted a raid on the parking lot of a courier company in Inanam on January 4 at 4.15pm and arrested a suspect and seized a car.

"Upon investigation, the team managed to seize three boxes of drugs believed to be methamphetamine weighing 33.62kg and worth RM1.21 million,” he told a media conference at the Sabah Police Headquarters here today.

After further investigations, he said Sabah police then conducted a second raid on a commercial area in Kota Kinabalu City on January 9 at 9.50am and seized two boxes containing drugs believed to be methamphetamine weighing 21.78kg and worth RM784,000

He said police also confiscated a total of RM102,097.87 in cash, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"The suspect has 17 criminal records, including for drugs and theft, and is believed to be involved in a (drug) trafficking syndicate. We are still investigating the areas the drugs were distributed as well as how long the syndicate has been operating,” he said. — Bernama