Ketum leaves worth over RM550,000 seized at Kuala Sala, Kedah

ALOR SETAR - Ketum leaves weighing 3.1 tonnes and worth an estimated RM558,000 believed to be smuggled to a neighbouring country, were seized by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in a raid on a fishing boat at the Kuala Sala estuary yesterday morning.

Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone director, commander Noor Azreyanti Ishak said the raid at 6.45 am was conducted following intelligence information received on the suspicious loading of black packages into a boat in the area.

"The MMEA’s Perkasa boat 1226 which was doing a routine Op Aman patrol was rushed to the location and four suspects were found loading the packages into a Class A local fishing boat.

"Realising the presence of the authority, the suspects, believed to be locals, flede to the nearby mangrove area and inspection of the boat left behind, found 310 black plastic packages hidden in the fish storage compartment.

"All the packages containing ketum and the fishing boat were then taken to the Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone jetty for further action,” she said in a statement, here, today.

Noor Azreyanti said the smuggling modus operandi this time was different from those before as the suspects were using a registered fishing boat instead of fibre boats with no registration number in the previous cases.

She said this was most probably to deceive the authorities and the boat involved was believed to be waiting for a suitable time to exit the country’s waters. The case is being investigated under Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952.

"The Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone welcomes public complaints on crime or illegal activities and emergencies at sea that can be channelled to the 24-hour emergency line, MERS 999 or the Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone operations centre at 04-7310579,” she added. - BERNAMA