Perlis Customs Thwarts Attempt To Smuggle Contraband Worth Over RM2 Mln
PADANG BESAR, June 25 (Bernama) -- The Perlis Customs Department (JKDM) thwarted an attempt to smuggle various goods, including cannabis, ketum leaves, "cloned" vehicles and cigarettes, with a total seizure value of RM2.45 million in several separate operations conducted between May and June.
Its director, Ismail Hashim said the biggest seizure involved cannabis flowers, which are more expensive than compressed slabs of leaves, weighing 22.855 kilogrammes (kg) and worth RM2.28 million, near the Malaysia-Thailand border gate at Jalan Sadao here on June 19.
'Our team came across a Proton Saga BLM (base line model) vehicle parked without a driver near the Malaysia-Thailand border gate and an inspection found 40 airtight transparent plastic packages of cannabis flowers in the back passenger area.
'The syndicate's modus operandi is to leave the vehicle unmanned in Malaysian territory after crossing the border before an accomplice picks up the car. This amount of cannabis can be used by 114,000 addicts in Peninsular Malaysia,' he said at a press conference here today.
Meanwhile, Ismail said three more seizures were made involving 1,975 kg of ketum leaves, worth RM108,625, from inspections in the bush area near the Malaysia-Thailand border security checkpoint here between May 30 and 31.
He said in another two cases on May 30, his raiding party found two vehicles abandoned in the bush, a Mitsubishi Pajero carrying 647 kg of ketum leaves, worth RM35,585, and an Isuzu Dmax carrying 1,036 kg of ketum leaves (RM56,980) while the seizure on May 31 involved 292 kg of ketum leaves (RM16,060).
In addition, Ismail said two cloned vehicles were also seized. These involved a Volvo XC60 worth RM40,000 (with RM55,000 tax payable) on June 14 in Kuala Ketil, Kedah and a Honda Jazz worth RM15,000 (RM20,625 tax payable) seized on June 19 in Beseri near here.
'Inspections found that both vehicles used fake registration numbers and were prohibited goods imported without a valid permit,' he said, adding that his party also seized 3,040 contraband cigarettes worth RM936.40 (RM2,100.04 tax payable) at Felda Rimba Emas near here on June 19.
He also said that all the cases were being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the Poisons Act 1952 and the Customs Act 1967, and added that his party would continue to intensify operations to combat smuggling of contraband into the state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Kuala Selangor cops detain woman suspected of abusing adopted daughter
SHAH ALAM: The police have detained a woman for allegedly abusing and neglecting her adopted daughter in Taman Bendahara, Kuala Selangor. Kuala Selangor police chief Superintendent Azaharudin Tajudin said they received a report on the incident on Saturday (June 28) before arresting the 54-year-old woman at 8.15pm. "The victim is receiving treatment at the Tanjong Karang Hospital, while a remand order for the suspect has been granted for six days, starting today until July 4, to assist with the investigation," he said in a statement on Sunday (June 29). He urged the public with information about the case to contact the operations room of the Kuala Selangor district police headquarters at 03-32891222 or any nearby police station. The case is being investigated under Section 3(1) of the Child Act 2001. Earlier, several videos went viral on social media, with some showing the injuries the victim had sustained on her hands and head. – Bernama
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of agencies and road safety
The Transport Ministry has, for the first time, named and shamed bus and heavy vehicle operators who have chalked up numerous summonses for various offences, including speeding, reckless driving and failure to meet safety standards. The list of infamy was headed by a company with 22,000 summonses, half of which it claims to have settled. The company, a contractor to the Selangor government, denied that it was responsible for the 22,000 summonses for vehicles it owns. To which Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook had this to say: "When the vehicle is slapped with a summons, the owner has to take responsibility." The minister is right. But passing the buck is a bad old Malaysian business habit. But why did the authorities let the bus and lorry operators accumulate such a mountain of summonses? We can only conclude one thing from this: every agency is in solo mode, sans coordination. The ministry's move to name and shame the errant operators is to keep them in line. But it must not think that by merely doing this miscreant operators would mend their wayward ways. More needs to be done. Already, they are saying the summonses are issued in the name of drivers who don't inform the operators. There are two narratives here. One is there are reckless drivers who don't want their employers to know because they may lose the job. The second, a more prevalent one, is that the operators push their drivers to make more journeys, meaning it is as good as telling them to speed. This is why so many drivers take drugs to be able to make as many journeys as possible, with minimal breaks. Such operators shouldn't be spared punitive punishment. "Pay the fines and everything will be okay", is a recipe for future tragedies. A deep dive is needed. Are the roles of our agencies properly delineated? Is there coordination among them? Are they networked, to use the language of the digital world? Reengineering for road safety that addresses these issues is needed more than task forces. In the United Kingdom, the police are in charge of enforcing road safety rules, though other agencies work in coordination with them. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which enforces rules related to roadworthiness or breaches of operator regulations, is one of them. Transport for London and local authorities are two more. An interesting another is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which keeps a central record of drivers and vehicles in the country. Want to know whether a driver is medically fit to drive or the number of hours a day a driver has been driving? The information is all there on the website. There is a crying need for a DVLA-like agency here. Here we have the police, Road Transport Department and the Land and Public Transport Agency. They sure appear not to be talking to each other. How else can you explain the 22,000 summonses the company had chalked up? The time has come for the reengineering of road safety roles. The Transport Ministry must give it a serious think.
Barnama
10 hours ago
- Barnama
MMEA Conducting Thorough Investigation Into Pulau Perhentian Boat Capsize Incident
KUALA BERANG, June 29 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will conduct a thorough investigation in connection with the boat capsize incident in Pulau Perhentian, Besut last night, which resulted in the deaths of three victims, including two family members. Its director-general, Admiral Maritime Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah said that although the incident was reported to have occurred when the boat carrying 15 passengers was hit by a storm, his department will conduct a thorough investigation, including the boat's licencing, cargo carried, and ensuring all regulations were complied with. "We will conduct an investigation, including contacting the victims involved and carrying out a detailed investigation in various aspects," he said when met by reporters after the launching ceremony of the MADANI Adopted Village and MADANI Adopted School programme by the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) 2025 at the grand hall of the Hulu Terengganu District Council here today. The ceremony was officiated by the Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Mohd Rosli added that his team always intensifies control and enforcement, especially since tourism activities on the beach and at sea are becoming more vibrant after the Northeast Monsoon season has ended. In the boat incident that happened at 10.30 pm yesterday, S. Arumugam, 40, and daughter 3, as well as female relative V. Vennpani, 10, died whereas another two victims are still being treated in hospital, including one in a critical condition, while 10 others survived. All the boat's passengers, aged 40 to three years, who were relatives were said to have been on their way back from Pulau Perhentian Kecil to Pulau Perhentian Besar after dinner when a big wave suddenly hit the boat and caused it to capsize. In the same development, Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairuddin said his team, together with the MMEA and Malaysian Marine Department, always collaborate to ensure law enforcement, including among tourist boat operators. He also reminded all boat operators to ensure that all boat drivers are not involved in any crime, especially drug-related ones.
