MELAKA: The Bukit Aman Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB), in collaboration with various enforcement agencies, has dismantled an agarwood trafficking syndicate and seized goods valued at over RM106mil.
Melaka police chief, Dept Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar, said that based on intelligence gathered under "Ops Bersepadu Khazanah", two premises were raided on Thursday (July 31): a factory in the Bukit Rambai Industrial Area and a house in Ayer Keroh.
“In the first raid, officers discovered large quantities of suspected karas tree wood logs and agarwood chunks. They also discovered sacks believed to contain agarwood powder, sieving machines and oil distillation stoves at the factory,” he said at the raid site on Monday (August 4).
DCP Dzulkhairi said that initial investigations revealed the wood was believed to have been illegally sourced from across the country, including from a golf course in the area.
He stated that among the seized items were 566 sacks of karas tree wood weighing 12,178 kg, 277 sacks of wood powder (5,783 kg), boxed karas tree wood (100 kg), karas tree resin (2,585 kg), 43.84 cubic metres of agarwood oil, and 167 wood stumps suspected to be illegally imported.
DCP Dzulkhairi said police also confiscated other equipment, including machinery and gas cylinders worth RM384,362.
"Two male foreigners, employed without valid permits, were also arrested at the site," he said and added that, based on checks, the factory owner was not registered with the Forestry Department.
In the second raid at a house in Ayer Keroh here, police detained a 55-year-old local woman in relation to the syndicate, said DCP Dzulkhairi.
“We don't rule out the possibility that this case is connected to at least three incidents involving the disappearance of agarwood from forest areas near golf courses in the state.
"We suspect the syndicate was catering to both local and international markets,” he added.
Participating agencies in the operation included the Forestry Department, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Inland Revenue Board, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, Malaysian Timber Industry Board, the Historical Melaka City Council and Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council.
