KUCHING: Sarawak police have seized 11kg of syabu and 993 ecstasy pills packed and labelled as Chinese tea brands - the largest haul of the illicit drugs in the state so far this year.
Authorities valued the seizure to be worth more than RM3.4 million.
Acting on a tip-off and a nine-month-long surveillance later, a team from the state Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) stormed a house in Jalan Stutong here at 1.30pm on Thursday and confiscated the drugs.
State deputy police commissioner Datuk Dzuraidi Ibrahim said the team found a total of 11kg of syabu and 993 ecstasy pills in the house.
“Two men, both 27, were also arrested in the raid,” he told reporters at the state police headquarters here today.
Dzuraidi said the syabu was packed and labelled as Chinese tea from the Guan Ying Wang and Qing Shan brands.
“The drugs were stuffed inside an unused aquarium, which was placed inside a storeroom of the house.
“Each of the syabu packets weigh about one kilogramme,” he said.
Dzuraidi added that police believed the house was being used as a packaging area.
"We suspect they got the supply from neighbouring countries and packed them into smaller packages to be marketed both locally and overseas.
"Our men, especially from the NCID have been monitoring and investigating the case since early this year,
“This is the biggest drug bust in Sarawak this year. We are glad that we are able to prevent this from getting into the market.
“Such huge supply of illicit drugs can really harm a lot of people." he said, adding that the two men have been remanded from Sept 21 until 29.
The case is being investigated under Section 39(B)(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the death penalty upon conviction.