Abang Ahmad (third left) and his men show the seized cannabis at the press conference.
KUCHING: A female private college student, 19, and her male accomplice could potentially face the death penalty after they were caught in possession of over 1.5kg of cannabis.
The Sibu-born student was nabbed by anti-narcotics police around 12.20pm on Thursday shortly after she collected a parcel, sent from Peninsular Malaysia, at a Pos Laju facility at Jalan Song.
The parcel contained slightly over one kilogramme of cannabis packed together with ‘kek lapis’.
District police chief ACP Abang Ahmad Abang Julai told a press conference yesterday that the student then led police to a nearby parking lot where her accomplice, a 26-year-old local male, was waiting inside a car.
“A search of the car produced 11 grammes of cannabis. The pair later led police to a house at Jalan Cenderawasih where 475 grammes of cannabis were found, along with weighing equipment and drug-related paraphernalia.
“We believe the house was used by the suspects to process and package the drugs for sale. In total, we seized 1.505kg of cannabis valued at RM26,656,” he said, adding that the student was in her third-year of an accounting programme, while the married male suspect was working as a security personnel in the private sector.
Both suspects have since been remanded for four days to facilitate further investigation under Section 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
Abang Ahmad said Thursday’s bust was the seventh case classified under Section 39(B) of the Act involving cannabis in the district so far this year, indicating an increase in the demand for the drug.
“Overall, 16 cases under Section 39(B) in Kuching are recorded this year involving various drugs. However, recent busts suggest that cannabis seems to be the drug currently in demand.”
He called upon all parties, particularly parents and school authorities, to be wary and alert the police if they found their children or students involved in drug-related activities.
“There is an urgent need to address the issue because youngsters are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow. We must make sure their future is not destroyed by drugs.”