PASIR MAS, July 28 — Within two weeks operation at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Kelantan, the General Operations Force, Eighth Battalion (PGA8) made a record haul with the seizure of RM1.8 million worth of contraband items.
PGA8 deputy commanding officer DSP Ab Aziz Che Embong said since taking over from PGA7 on July 13, 22 seizures were recorded and 28 individuals were arrested.
He said the biggest haul was the seizure of 45 kilogrammes (kg) of sandalwood worth RM1.3 million at the Hasan Merah illegal jetty in Rantau Panjang at 1.30pm on July 15.
“In the incident, a Strike Force team conducting an operation dubbed Ops Wawasan noticed two men and a woman in their 40s, behaving suspiciously in a Toyota Camry car.
“On checking the vehicle, the team found 13 plastic packages containing pieces of sandalwood,” he told a press conference at the Lubuk Stol PGA Tactical Headquarters here today.
Ab Aziz said on interrogation, the suspects revealed that the sandalwood were obtained from Johor and were about to be smuggled to a neighbouring country, adding that the case would be investigated under Section 84 of the National Forestry Act 1984.
In another development Ab Aziz said PGA8 confiscated several types of contraband cigarettes on July 17 after stopping a Toyota Harrier near Gual Sitok here.
He said on examining the vehicle, the team found 98,000 cigarette sticks of various brands. The cigarettes estimated to be worth RM88,000 have been handed over to Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
In the latest operation at 1.30am today he said three tonnes of rice from Thailand worth RM9,600 were seized in Jeram Perdah here, after a van was seen to be driven in a suspicious manner.
“The driver sped off but later abandoned the vehicle at the roadside. Several 50kg rice bags were found hidden in the van,” he added. — Bernama
