PORT KLANG: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt by two fishermen to smuggle out of the country 23 kg of syabu valued at RM3.4 million yesterday.
MMEA deputy director-general (operations) Vice Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Mohd Zubil Zubil Mat Som said today the MMEA arrested the fishermen, aged 27 and 31, and seized the drugs at about 7.30am in the waters of Tanjung Rhu off Sepang, near here.
The drugs were most probably destined for Indonesia where the market price could be three times more, he told a press conference here.
Relating the incident, Mohd Zubil said MMEA officers spotted the two fishermen in a fibreglass boat that left the Sungai Belankan jetty in Tanjung Rhu and suspected something was amiss.
He said the men tried to speed off upon realising that they were being tailed but were cornered about 1.1 nautical miles from Sungai Belankan.
An inspection of the boat showed 22 plastic packets containing the drugs hidden in an orange barrel meant to store fish, he added.
He also said that the two men became aggressive when they were about to be arrested and it was believed that they were under the influence of drugs.
“We believe the two men were taking the drugs to international waters for transfer to another boat that will take it to the pre-determined destination,” he said.
Mohd Zubil said the MMEA would inform the Indonesian authorities to conduct an investigation to find out about the drug syndicate there.
The two fishermen face the death penalty if convicted for possession of the drugs, the amount of which was the biggest the MMEA seized so far this year. — Bernama
