Sabah cops hunting suspected drug dealer hiding in PH refugee camp

KOTA KINABALU — Police are on the hunt for a suspected drug dealer who fled into the notorious Filipino refugee settlement in Telipok, some 25km from the state capital here.

City police chief Asst. Comm. M. Chandra, said the suspect, Rosli Samsurani, who is in his 40s, fled with an accomplice to evade police inspection near the area just after midnight on Feb 18.

“A team of patrol police wanted to inspect the duo inside a four-wheel-drive vehicle, but they sped off into the settlement and ran away after abandoning the car,” he said during a press conference here Monday.

An inspection inside the vehicle led to the discovery of a Colt .45 pistol and 39 bullets.

ACP Chandra also said they believe Rosli and his accomplice have no links to the six informers who were recently nabbed during a massive dragnet at the settlement scheme.

“For now he is just suspected of being a dealer,” he said, adding they would also investigate the case under the Firearms Act.

ACP Chandra said four people aged between 16 and 25, including the owner of the vehicle used by the suspects were subsequently nabbed in several raids between Feb 18 and 20.

“We believe these four, who are related, can give us more information on the whereabouts of Rosli,” he added.

Also arrested was a 57-year-old man who impersonated a police official at the settlement scheme.

ACP Chandra said the man, who is from the peninsula, was seen wearing a police T-shirt with the Royal Malaysian Police logo on it.

“Also seized in the car were a pair of handcuffs, three police T-shirts, and a police logo sticker,” he said, adding they were also ascertaining if the man had links to several other cases of impersonating authorities since 2014.

He said there were several cases of blackmail involving police impersonators over the last few years.

The suspect faces a jail term of up to six months or a fine of not more than RM500 (P5,662) if found guilty.