Rantau panjang: A total of 6,000 pandan coconut and honey guava saplings believed to have been smuggled from Thailand were seized along with a lorry in a raid at Kampung Gual Tok Deh, Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade commander SAC Ahmad Radzi Hussain stated that the 10 am seizure was executed by a team from the Task Force and Intelligence Unit of the 8th Battalion of the GOF Pengkalan Chepa during a patrol under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan.

He mentioned that an inspection of the white Isuzu lorry revealed it was transporting 3,000 pandan coconut saplings and 3,000 honey guava saplings. The 54-year-old driver was unable to provide any documentation for the saplings.

The suspect was detained, and the lorry along with the saplings was seized before being taken to the Komtak in Taman Bakti, Rantau Panjang for further action. The lorry was estimated to be worth RM100,000, the pandan coconut saplings RM90,000, and the honey guava saplings RM60,000, bringing the total value of the seizure to RM250,000.

The case has been handed over to the Kota Bharu Agriculture Department for further action under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167). Initial investigations revealed that the man admitted to being involved in the smuggling activity for the past two years, acting as a driver for a Thai national known as Salleh. The suspect was to receive RM100 for each delivery of saplings to a nursery in Pasir Mas.