A smuggling attempt involving vegetables brought in from Thailand via illegal routes to evade tax was uncovered after the General Operations Force (PGA) intercepted a lorry loaded with contraband worth more than RM182,000 in Lubok Gong on Wednesday.
More surprisingly, the 33-year-old lorry driver admitted he had used the illegal crossing route twice before to bring in vegetable supplies from the neighbouring country for distribution to supermarkets across the East Coast.
Briged Tenggara PGA commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the arrest was made under Op Taring Wawasan at about 6pm at the Pok Mat illegal crossing point in Lubok Gong.
He said Strike Force personnel from Company A of Battalion 8 PGA, who were on patrol, stopped a suspicious bonded lorry for inspection.
During checks, officers discovered 14 styrofoam boxes of kampung mustard greens, six boxes of baby corn and four boxes of coriander believed to have been smuggled from Thailand.
The driver failed to produce valid documentation for the consignment and was detained for further investigation.
Authorities estimated the total value of the seized vegetables and the lorry at RM182,400.
Preliminary investigations found that the suspect claimed import permits had not yet been approved, prompting him to resort to illegal routes to avoid tax payments and supply delays.
He also reportedly told investigators that the vegetables were previously sourced from Kuala Lumpur and Cameron Highlands before shifting to supplies from Thailand via illegal crossings.
The case has been handed over to the Kelantan Department of Agriculture for further investigation under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976.
