KANGAR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) thwarted a smuggling attempt with the seizure of 70 kg of ketum leaves, worth RM12,000, about 3.1 nautical miles southwest of Pantai Sungai Baru yesterday.
Kuala Perlis Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Mohd Hashim Mat Zain said the seizure was made following a tip-off from the public.
Acting on the information, the MMEA mobilised its assets to the location and found four black plastic packages, containing the ketum leaves, floating in the area, he said in a statement today.
He said the packages were left there to be picked up and smuggled out to a neighbouring country.
He said smuggling of the ketum leaves was becoming rampant now due to its high price, of RM180 per kg in Thailand compared to only RM70 per kg locally.-Bernama