The man was detained when he turned up to collect the packages, which were believed to have arrived from the peninsula, at a courier services company in Inanam near here on Jan 4.

Sabah deputy police chief Jauteh Dikun said police seized three packages, filled with the boxes. The drugs were said to weigh over 33kg and were valued at RM1.2 million.

After interrogating the man, police raided an office at the Aeropod commercial centre near the airport here on Jan 9.

“We found two more packages filled with the drugs, weighing over 21kg and valued at RM784,000,” he told reporters here today.

He said police also seized RM102,097 in cash from the suspect who has 17 previous criminal convictions, ranging from drugs to theft.

According to Jauteh, the suspect was believed to be part of a national drug syndicate.

The police are now checking how long the man, who is from the peninsula, had been sneaking drugs into Sabah and were also tracking down his accomplices in the state.

The suspect will be remanded until Jan 18 for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.