Teluk Kumbar: The Marine police have successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle over RM700,000 worth of methamphetamine out of the country via Teluk Kumbar waters. Five Indonesian men were arrested during a special operation yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Marine Police Region One commander ACP Rusley Chi Ari stated that the suspects were apprehended near Pantai Teluk Bayu in Sungai Batu as they attempted to escape. The operation began when a patrol boat noticed a suspicious vessel in Teluk Kumbar waters, prompting the suspects to discard items overboard and flee ashore. The suspects were subsequently arrested near their abandoned boat, which had sunk after colliding with rocks.

The operation resulted in the confiscation of 22 packets of Chinese tea, each containing clear plastic bags filled with substances suspected to be methamphetamine. The total weight of the seized drugs was approximately 22.77 kilogrammes, with an estimated value of RM728,704. Additionally, authorities seized a Hyundai Tucson valued at RM150,000 and four mobile phones worth RM5,000, bringing the total value of the haul to RM833,704.

The arrested suspects, whose ages range from their 20s to 40s, have been remanded until March 28 for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.