Cops foil trio's bid to smuggle 4,000kg of ketum leaves from Kedah to K'tan

GERIK (Bernama): An attempt by a lorry driver and two "tontos" to smuggle ketum leaves from Kedah to Kelantan failed when the vehicle was stopped at a roadblock at KM9 of the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway, in Sungai Lebey near here on Wednesday (Feb 10).

Gerik OCDP Supt Zulkifli Mahmood said in the 7pm incident, an inspection on the three-tonne lorry found four tonnes (4,000kg) of ketum leaves stored in 400 black plastic packages in the back of the heavy vehicle.

"Police then arrested the 31-year-old lorry driver and pursued the two 'tontos', who were in a black 4WD that had passed the roadblock earlier.

"A police team from the District Criminal Investigation Division chased the vehicle for almost 30km and managed to detain both ‘tontos’, aged 35 and 43 years old, after their vehicle skidded and came to a halt at KM36 of the East-West Highway, near Banding, Gerik, ” he told a press conference at the Gerik district police headquarters here Friday (Feb 12).

He said initial investigations found that the lorry driver was hired for RM1,200 and the ketum leaves, worth about RM40,000, were obtained from Kedah to be brought into Kelantan, and if sold could reach a market value of RM120,000.

Zulkifli said investigations also found that the modus operandi of the two tontos, who were paid RM500 each, was to give instructions to the lorry driver who brought the ketum leaves to change the driver and registration number of the lorry when going through roadblocks.

The lorry driver had no criminal record but the two tontos had previous offences for smuggling ketum leaves.

He said all the suspects were remanded for four days beginning Thursday (Feb 11) until Sunday (Feb 14) and the case was being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term not exceeding four years, or both, if convicted.

Police confiscated 8,169kg of ketum leaves around Gerik district last year and would continue to step up enforcement to ensure that such activities could be curbed effectively. - Bernama