Ketum leaves smugglers now focus on hilly areas to avoid detection - GOF

PADANG BESAR: Smugglers have now been detected changing their modus operandi by concentrating on hilly areas to smuggle ketum leaves to a neighbouring country, to avoid detection by authorities.

General Operations Force (GOF) 3rd Battalion commanding officer, Supt Azhar Hashim, said that the smugglers were wrong in thinking that the GOF would only emphasise the borders in flat areas, as security personnel were continuously mobilised to patrol all areas.

"The hilly physical terrain with thick jungle made them (smugglers) turn here (Wang Kelian). They (smugglers) think that here their activities are not monitored by the GOF.

"They are wrong, because we are still mobilising personnel to monitor throughout the country's borders because the smuggling of ketum leaves is strictly prohibited," he told reporters here today.

He said that the high demand for ketum leaves in the neighbouring country, apart from the improving economic activities, also caused the smugglers to return to such illegal activities, especially in the Wang Kelian area.

Meanwhile, Azhar said that from Oct 24, the GOF had seized more than 2.9 tonnes (2,934 kilograms) of ketum leaves in eight cases, three of which occurred in Wang Kelian. Also seized was a car, and two Myanmar illegal immigrants were detained.

He said that the ketum leaves were found hidden in a rubber plantation area, and covered with canvas to avoid detection.

-- BERNAMA