SERIAN (Bernama): Police have arrested a man and seized 36kg of syabu worth about RM1.29mil when conducting Op Benteng near Kampung Sejijak along Jalan Tebedu-Serian here.

       Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail said that during the operation at 5am on Saturday, a vehicle travelling from Serian to the Tebedu Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex had suspiciously turned back on seeing a police roadblock.

       "The police gave chase and intercepted the vehicle at kilometre 8, and on checking found four bags filled with 36 packets suspected to be syabu," he told a press conference here today.

       Aidi said the 48-year-old suspect, who tested positive for methamphetamine, had been arrested under Sections 39B and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

       Apart from the drugs worth about RM1.29mil, police also confiscated the Toyota Innova MPV, a Tissot wrist watch and cash of RM572, he added.

       Aidi said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect was a runner who was paid RM2,000 for each kilogramme of the drugs delivered to an unidentified Indonesian for sale in the neighbouring country.

       The man managed to send 18kg per transaction and had made four runs since April this year, he added.

       He said the suspect was believed to have obtained his drug supply from Miri, and the drugs could have originated from peninsular Malaysia.

       The suspect has been remanded for seven days until Sept 25 for investigation, he added. - Bernama