KOTA KINABALU: After months of living comfortably using ill-gotten gains from selling drugs, a businessman was finally nabbed during an operation here on Thursday (July 1).

       The 32-year-old middleman was nabbed when he was handing over some 3kg of what was believed to be methamphetamine to a suspected drug dealer in his 30s in Inanam near here.

       Kota Kinabalu OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaidi Abdullah said the drugs were hidden in tea packets to fool the authorities.

       He said when they opened the packets, they found the drugs worth about RM110,000 inside, making it the biggest drug bust here so far this year.

       Apart from the drugs, police also found some jewellery and a branded watch, all valued at around RM300,000, he said.

       A 4WD drive vehicle was also subsequently confiscated, ACP Zaidi added.

       “We believe the items were all bought with profits from his previous drug transactions,” he said during a press conference here Friday (July 2).

       He said a further probe found that the drugs, which can supply up to 15,000 customers, were meant for sale in the state capital.

       “Altogether, the items seized are worth about RM700,000,” ACP Zaidi said.

       Earlier, he said they had been monitoring the businessman, who owned a shop at the Suria Inanam commercial centre, for about a month before making their move.

       He said the drugs were believed to have been brought in from Peninsular Malaysia by a syndicate linked to the man.

       “We are still investigating but we are sure a syndicate was involved,” ACP Zaidi said, adding police believed the drugs were brought into Sabah by air.

       He said it was difficult for the authorities to detect all drugs that come in through the airports.

       The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.