MMEA foils attempt to smuggle out five tonnes of ketum leaves worth about RM900,000

ALOR SETAR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has foiled an attempt to smuggle out ketum leaves, estimated to be worth RM900,000, into a neighbouring country, early Tuesday (Jan 4) morning. The seizure was made at a position 2.0 nautical miles (nm) from Kuala Kedah estuary, here.

Kedah and Perlis MMEA director Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said an MMEA boat was dispatched to the location at about 1.40am based on information and his team's surveillance regarding large-scale smuggling activities in the waters.

"A fibre boat without a registration number was detected heading out of the estuary and when they (smugglers) realised the presence of the authorities, they sped off towards nearby land.

"However, the boat was intercepted and two local men in their 30s were detained. An inspection of the boat yielded 200 black plastic packages weighing two tonnes. The packages were suspected to contain ketum leaves," he said at a press conference, here on Wednesday (Jan 5).

He said following the two suspects' detention, his team found another 300 black plastic packages containing three tonnes of ketum leaves at an unloading location 4.0 nm east of Kuala Kedah.

According to Mohd Zawawi, the ketum leaves were in the process of being smuggled by sea to a neighbouring country, as the market price for ketum leaves in Thailand is more than RM180 a kilogramme (kg) compared to RM40 a kg in the local market.

He said the two suspects were believed to have been paid a wage of about RM700 for each delivery based on the weight of the leaves delivered.

He also said that the ketum leaves and the twin-engine fibre boat have been confiscated and taken to the Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone jetty for further action.

"This is the biggest seizure for Maritime Malaysia this year. Even though many seizures and arrests have been made before, smugglers continue this activity in order to take the easy way to generate a lucrative income," he added. - Bernama