ALOR SETAR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has foiled an try and smuggle about 1.2 tonnes of ketum leaves worth greater than RM200,000 out of the nation.
Kuala Kedah MMEA director Commander Noor Azreyanti Ishak stated the seizure was made 0.9 nautical miles northeast of the Kuala Kedah estuary at about 6am on Thursday (Feb 10).
“Based on information gathered, we detected a boat near the Kuala Kedah estuary.
“Once we received the information, a MMEA boat was dispatched to the location,” she stated in a press release.
She stated a suspect, who noticed that authorities have been approaching, modified course and fled in direction of close by land, including that he escaped by leaping right into a mangrove swamp.
She stated an inspection of the boat revealed 120 black packages believed to include ketum leaves weighing about 1.2 tonnes worth an estimated RM216,000.
She stated it’s believed that the ketum leaves have been being smuggled to a neighbouring nation, the place the market value is about RM180 per kg in comparison with RM30 domestically.
She stated the seized ketum leaves and the boat have been taken to the jetty in Kuala Kedah and handed over to the investigation officer for additional investigation.
The case has been categorized underneath Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952.
