A man was arrested after attempting to smuggle 1.05 tonnes of Musang King and Mon Thong durians from Thailand into the local market through an illegal entry point in Kampung Lubok Gong on Friday.
Southeast Brigade General Operations Force (PGA) Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the 43-year-old suspect was detained while driving a Ford van in a suspicious manner near the Yasin illegal jetty at about 1am.
He said inspections on the vehicle found 300 kilograms of Musang King durians and 750 kilograms of Mon Thong durians believed to have been brought in from Thailand without valid documentation.
“Initial investigations found that the durians were sourced from Thailand before being transported into Malaysia through the Yasin illegal entry point in Lubok Gong.
“The supply was believed to be on its way to RTC Tunjong, Kota Bharu, for sale, while the suspect admitted receiving RM100 as payment to transport the goods,” he said.
Ahmad Radzi said police also seized the Ford van involved in the operation, bringing the total estimated value of the seizure to RM46,250.
He added that the suspect and seized items were taken to the Rantau Panjang Police Station before being handed over to the Kota Bharu Agriculture Department for further action.
The case is being investigated under Section 6 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167).
