A man believed to have been acting as a vape pod smuggling agent for the past two years, earning RM20 per box handled, has been arrested by the General Operations Force (PGA) in a raid at a premises here on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old suspect was detained during Op Taring Wawasan by intelligence and task force personnel from Battalion 8 PGA Pengkalan Chepa, with cooperation from the Pasir Mas District Health Department, at a shop along Jalan Lubok Stol.
PGA Brigadier East Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the 6pm raid led to the seizure of 1,800 vape pods of various flavours, estimated to be worth RM180,000.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspect had been actively involved in the smuggling operation for about two years, acting as a transit agent along the border areas.
The suspect allegedly worked with a Thai national known as ‘Ali’, who coordinated stock orders from Kuala Lumpur before deliveries were made via courier services to the premises.
According to authorities, each box handled by the suspect earned him about RM20, before the vape products were believed to be smuggled into Thailand through illegal crossings in Rantau Panjang.
The operation is believed to have been driven by high demand in Thailand, where the import, sale and possession of vape products remain prohibited.
All seized items, along with the suspect, have been handed over to the Pasir Mas District Health Department for further investigation under Section 3(1) of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024.
