GERIK – An attempt by a lorry driver and two informers to smuggle ketum from Kedah to Kelantan failed when the vehicle was stopped at a roadblock at Km9 of the Gerik-Jeli stretch of the East-West Highway, in Sg Lebey near here, on Wednesday.
Gerik district police chief Zulkifli Mahmood said in the 7pm incident, an inspection of the three-tonne lorry found four tonnes of ketum leaves in 400 plastic packages.
“Police arrested the 31-year-old driver and pursued the two tonto, who were in a black Ford Ranger that passed the roadblock earlier.
“A police team chased the vehicle for almost 30km and detained both tonto, aged 35 and 43, after the car skidded and came to a halt at Km36 of the East-West Highway, near Banding,” he told a press conference at the district police headquarters here today.
He said initial investigations found that the lorry driver was paid RM1,200 to transport the ketum, which could sell for as much as RM120,000.
The two informers, meanwhile, were paid RM500 each to tip off the lorry driver on roadblocks.
The driver has no criminal record, but the two tonto were previously convicted of smuggling ketum.
Zulkifli said all the suspects have been remanded for four days beginning yesterday, and that the case is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000, or a jail term not exceeding four years, or both, upon conviction.
Police seized 8,169kg of ketum around Gerik last year. – Bernama, February 12, 2021
