By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Oct 9: Two men from Miri were arrested after police seized 32.73kg of Erimin 5 pills worth RM3.3 million at Kuching International Airport (KIA), in a drug bust involving a quantity estimated to be enough to affect 163,650 users.
Acting Sarawak Police Commissioner DCP Saifullizan Ishak said the suspects, aged 25 and 39, were arrested at the airport’s arrival hall on Sept 28 by the Sarawak Police Contingent Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID).
“The syndicate is believed to have been active since August 2026. Its modus operandi was to obtain drug supplies from Johor Bahru and transport them to Kuching by air for distribution around the city,” he said at a press conference at Kuching Police Headquarters today.
Saifullizan said preliminary investigations found that the two men had admitted to carrying out two transactions, with the first successfully completed before police intercepted the second.
He further revealed that each man was paid RM5,000 per transaction, while police were tracking down the individual who allegedly recruited them.
The 39-year-old suspect worked as a fisherman, while the 25-year-old was unemployed, he added.
An initial urine screening test found that the younger suspect tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and benzodiazepines, while the older suspect tested negative for drugs.
Police checks also revealed that the 25-year-old had three previous criminal records, including one drug-related offence, while the 39-year-old had two previous criminal records.
The suspects were remanded for six days from Sept 30 to Oct 5, followed by a further two days from Oct 6 to 7 under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Both men were charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 at the Kuching Magistrates’ Court on Oct 7.
If convicted, they face the death penalty or life imprisonment, with not less than 12 strokes of the cane if the death penalty is not imposed, Saifullizan said.
He said the operation reflected the NCID’s continued commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks through firm, targeted and high-impact enforcement.
He urged the public to assist police in combating drug trafficking by sharing information through the NCID hotline at 012-2087222. — DayakDaily
