Police have foiled an attempt to smuggle rice into Malaysia after seizing a boat loaded with suspected contraband at an illegal jetty in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, during an operation near the Malaysia-Thailand border.
The seizure was carried out at about 5pm on Sunday under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan at Illegal Jetty Perdah 2 in Kampung Jeram Perdah. Officers from the 9th Battalion of the General Operations Force (PGA) confiscated 150 kilogrammes of white rice, a long-tail boat engine and the boat itself, with the total value of the seized items estimated at RM36,600. Cross-border smuggling remains a persistent challenge in northern Malaysia, with enforcement agencies continuing to tighten surveillance along known illegal entry routes.
Southeast Brigade PGA Commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Radzi Hussain said patrol officers spotted a boat being steered by a man from the direction of Thailand towards the Malaysian riverbank.
However, upon realising the presence of the police, the suspect allegedly jumped into the Golok River before swimming back to the Thai side to escape arrest.
A search of the abandoned boat uncovered six sacks of white rice of various grades, each weighing 25kg, which officers believe had been smuggled into Malaysia from the neighbouring country.
The seized boat and rice have since been handed over to the Kelantan State Paddy and Rice Regulatory Authority for further action.
The case is being investigated under Section 20 of the Control of Paddy and Rice Act 1994.
According to Ahmad Radzi, intelligence gathered by the authorities indicates that the smuggled rice was transported from Thailand into Malaysia through illegal routes along the Golok River using boats.
He said the syndicate is believed to have used illegal jetties around the Jeram Perdah area to facilitate the transfer of rice across the border before distributing it to the local market in Pasir Mas and nearby districts.
Although the suspect managed to flee into Thailand, Ahmad Radzi said the swift response by PGA personnel successfully disrupted the smuggling attempt and prevented the illegal goods from reaching the local market.
