ALOR SETAR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Kuala Kedah Maritime Zone seized 40kg of ketum leaves at 1.7 nautical miles east of Kuala Kedah on Friday (Sept 6).
Its director, Cmdr (Maritime) Noor Azreyanti Ishak, said the 11.30pm seizure was based on intelligence gathering on a local syndicate smuggling ketum leaves to a neighbouring country.
"An MMEA patrol boat was mobilised to locate and conduct the raid. The boat found several bags at a private jetty during the patrol, and we believe that smugglers were just waiting for a suitable time to retrieve the packs and smuggle them out,” she said in a statement here on Saturday (Sept 7).
Further checks at the location revealed that the packs contained an estimated 400 kg of ketum leaves worth about RM4,000, she said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952. – Bernama
