SHAH ALAM - Young cockles and seeds are now the target for smugglers following the increase in their value.
They cost up to hundreds of ringgit per kilogramme in the black market, threatening the aquatic creature.
The act of stealing seeds and young cockles was an act usually committed by foreigners and locals especially from November to April.
It was believed that there were community leaders and residents who were willing to conspire with such illegal activities.
To make it difficult for the authorities to take action, the group would operate using helpers (tonto) and drones to monitor authorities' movement.
The price of cockle seeds in the black market could reach up to RM260 per kilogramme and smuggled to Thailand by land or sea.
Selangor State Fisheries Department director Noraisyah Abu Bakar said investigations by the department found that there were two kinds of modus operandi used to steal young cockles and seeds in the country’s waters.
"The first is through the hands-on method. This would usually be carried out by foreigners especially Cambodians and masterminded by locals.
"This activity is carried out during the low tide and ends during the high tide.
"The cockles and seeds will be taken to the collection point which is a homestay to be weighed and packed to prevent information from being leaked to the authorities.
"The young cockles or seeds that were packed were then brought to another illegal collection site such as a jetty or a home before being brought out of Selangor usually at night and will be smuggled into Thailand,” she told Sinar Ahad.
Noraisyah said another method used by the locals was by boat by using a landing net, to scoop up the cockles and seeds during low tides.
She said the seeds or young cockles would then be gathered near the shore or land.
"The "tekong darat” (ground coordinator) would bring the young cockles or seeds that have been gathered, to a dealer before it was smuggled,” she said.
She added that some of the young cockles and seeds were measured using a kerosene tin weighing about 3kg worth around RM800.
"We do not reject the possibility of community leaders and local residents who obtained profits from this illegal activity,” she explained.
Noraisyah said when the yield is high, the incentives for these local masterminds would be high to a point that they will allow foreigners to steal it.
She said smuggling activities to Thailand occurred when the price offered was higher.
"It is not impossible that cockles from Thailand were being sold back to us. This is a loss for Malaysians.
"They breed them until they were mature and the expensive seeds were valued highly.
"Several years ago it was RM300 a can and now it is RM800.
"Some were stolen and sold to local breeders but majority were sold in Thailand for higher profits,” she said.
She said it was proven when several cases of cockle seeds smugglers were successfully stopped at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah as well as Padang Besar, Perlis.
She was commenting on the activities that continued to run rampantly due to high demand.
"In Thailand there were no natural seeds and they are forced to rely on us to gain them.
"When the supply and demand exist, smuggling is sure to happen,” she said adding that the process of cockles maturing from young would take roughly a year.