Malaysian man arrested with drugs worth over RM15,000 in Sungai Golok

SUNGAI GOLOK: A Malaysian man in his 30s was arrested in Sungai Golok town on Thursday night before he could smuggle drugs worth over RM15,000 into Kelantan through the Sungai Golok Customs and Immigration checkpoint.

The suspect was detained about 10.30pm Thai time while in a car near a hotel in the town.

Sungai Golok police chief Colonel Thun Sirikhunt said the man was found with 20 ecstasy pills, 760 psychotropic pills and about 9g of ketamine.

He said the arrest was made during a joint operation involving Sungai Golok police, the Southern Border Provinces Investigation Bureau and Sungai Golok district administrative officials.

Initial investigations found that the suspect was believed to be involved in drug distribution in Kelantan and had obtained his supply from a syndicate in Sungai Golok.

"The Narcotics Investigation Division of Provincial Police Region 9 received information about a man driving a car suspected of carrying drugs.

"The car was surrounded, and a police inspection led to the discovery of the drugs.

"The suspect admitted to hiding the drugs in his car and planning to smuggle the prohibited substances into Malaysia through the Sungai Golok Customs and Immigration checkpoint," he said.

Thun said the suspect faced charges of illegally possessing Category 1 narcotics, namely ecstasy, for sale, and illegally selling Category 2 psychotropic substances, namely ketamine and Epam.