A suspected smuggler escaped arrest by jumping into Sungai Golok and swimming towards Thailand, abandoning a boat loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders at an illegal jetty in Mekza, Simpangan, on Saturday.
The incident, which occurred at about 8pm, was detected by a Strike Force team from Company C of the 9th Battalion General Operations Force (PGA) Kuala Terengganu during a motorcycle patrol under Op Taring Wawasan.
Southeast Brigade Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said enforcement personnel spotted a boat carrying a local man behaving suspiciously at the illegal jetty.
He said the suspect immediately jumped into the river and swam towards Thailand after noticing the presence of security personnel in an attempt to avoid being detained.
“An inspection of the boat found 15 LPG cylinders weighing 14kg each, bearing the Petronas brand, which were believed to have been smuggled through an unauthorised route.
“A boat and a weighing scale were also seized, with the total value of the confiscated items estimated at RM11,560,” he said during a press conference on Sunday.
Ahmad Radzi said no arrest was made as the suspect managed to escape into the neighbouring country.
He added that all seized items were taken to the Komtak Pengkalan Kubor before being handed over to the Kelantan Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) for further action.
The case is being investigated under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.
Efforts to trace the owner of the boat are ongoing to assist police investigations, he said.
