GEORGE TOWN – The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Penang has seized RM10.53 million worth of drugs, in a bust of the country’s largest sea-based smuggling syndicate on Thursday.
State MMEA director Maritime Captain Abd Razak Mohamed said the authorities’ suspicions were raised by a recreational boat spotted in Pulau Betong waters at 8.20pm.
“When Penang MMEA tried to approach the boat, it accelerated. Authorities chased it for almost 30 minutes,” he told a press conference here today.
“Two suspects in the boat then started throwing bags into the sea, and jumped into the water.”
The authorities have recovered the bags.
Razak said there were eight bags containing 240kg of methamphetamine, and one with 9.3kg of ecstasy pills.
“The market value of the methamphetamine is RM9.6 million, while the ecstasy pills are worth RM930,000.”
He said the two suspects, both Indonesian, managed to put on life jackets before jumping into the sea, with the duo found floating in the water by fishermen on Friday.
The two have been detained until December 17, he said.
“This seizure is the result of a week’s coordination by the Risk Unit, patrolling the waters off the coast of Teluk Kumbar up to Gertak Sanggul, and based on information gathered from the public.” – The Vibes, December 7, 2020
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