A man is feared to have drowned after allegedly jumping into a river while attempting to flee a police inspection linked to suspected drug activity at Kampung Gong Mak Som, Besut, yesterday.
Besut district police chief Superintendent Mohd Rozaime Ab Rahim said the incident occurred at about 5.45pm when a team from Kampung Raja Police Station conducted an inspection near the river.
He said the man allegedly noticed the presence of police officers and fled before jumping into the river, where he was believed to have gone underwater and could not be located.
“During the inspection, a man who noticed the presence of police fled by jumping into the river before he was believed to have drowned and could not be located,” he said in a statement.
A subsequent inspection of a wooden shed near the scene also uncovered several pills believed to be drugs.
Rozaime said police had yet to establish the identity and other details of the man involved.
A search and rescue (SAR) operation was subsequently carried out with assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department to locate the missing man.
Police also urged members of the public not to speculate or circulate unverified information about the incident, stressing that such actions could cause confusion and spread inaccurate information.
The search operation remains focused on locating the man, while investigations into the suspected drug-related activity are also ongoing.
