Thai man held with 6,000 yaba pills in Pasir Mas

Police in the Malaysian state of Kelantan have apprehended a 45-year-old Thai man in Pasir Mas and confiscated 6,000 yaba pills, valued at roughly RM60,000. The arrest took place in Kampung Rahmat, near Rantau Panjang, on the evening of a recent operation. Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat revealed that the suspect was apprehended by the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) team around 7:30 pm.

Upon examining the suspect's body, officers discovered a yellowish paper packet containing about 655 grams of suspected yaba pills. The seized drugs could potentially be consumed by up to 6,000 users. Initial urine tests confirmed the suspect tested positive for amphetamine. However, further investigations revealed the man had no prior criminal history.

According to Yusoff, the police suspect the individual is part of a drug syndicate that has been active since the beginning of this year. The investigation uncovered that the syndicate allegedly used illegal jetties and routes along the Golok River to smuggle drugs from an adjacent country into Kelantan before distributing them throughout the state.

The suspect has been remanded for seven days, until August 22, to allow for further investigations. The case is being handled under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which prescribes the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum whipping of 12 strokes upon conviction.