KOTA BHARU, Sept 24 — The General Operations Force (GOF) seized items worth RM760,000, including 4,000 Musang King durian seedlings valued at RM600,000, during Op Taring Wawasan at Kampung Kubang Rambutan, Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, on Wednesday.
GOF Southeast Brigade commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain said the noon operation was carried out by a team from the Pengkalan Chepa-based GOF 8th Battalion.
He said during a patrol in the area, officers spotted a suspicious white Hicom lorry and ordered the driver to pull over for an inspection.
“Upon inspecting the cargo bed, the team found plants and seedlings without valid permits or documentation, leading to the arrest of the 30-year-old local driver,” he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Radzi said the seizure included Musang King durian seedlings, 2,000 bougainvillaea plants valued at RM60,000, and the lorry worth RM100,000.
He added that preliminary investigations showed the suspect admitted to smuggling over the past two years, acting as a driver for a Thai national known as Abdullah.
“The suspect claimed he received RM100 for each delivery of seedlings to a nursery in Pasir Mas. All seized items and the suspect were handed over to the Kota Bharu Agriculture Department for further action, and the case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167),” he said.
Ahmad Radzi said bringing in plants and seedlings from abroad without valid permits can introduce foreign pests and diseases harmful to local agriculture.
“The GOF will continue intelligence gathering and monitoring to curb smuggling activities and minimise the risk of disease outbreaks that could threaten the country’s agricultural sector, biodiversity, and economy,” he said.
