JOHOR BARU, April 8 — Police have thwarted an attempt to smuggle out 21,500 ecstasy pills estimated at RM645,000 at Sungai Pulai, near Gelang Patah, two days ago.

Regional Commander of Marine Police Force Region 2, ACP Paul Khiu Khon Chiang said the attempt was detected by four RH31 members from the Kukup Tactical Marine Headquarters who were patrolling near a kelong in the river at about 6pm.

"While on their patrol, the crew saw two men, believed to be locals, travelling downstream along Sungai Pulai.

"The boat accelerated when it was instructed to stop and was pursued by the RH31 boat for 15 minutes until it came to a shallow area at the river bank. The two suspects then fled into the mangrove forest,” he told reporters here today.

Also present was Iskandar Puteri police chief ACP Dzulkhairi Mukhtar.

Khiu added that when the duo was being pursued one of them threw an object into the river which was later discovered to be a black bag which contained seven plastic packs of ecstasy pills.

Meanwhile, Dzulkhairi said police were actively tracking down the two men in their early 40s. — Bernama