BENTONG: The demand for the commonly available ketum leaves has become so high that one dealer was prepared to send over a tonne of it from a northern state to Kuantan on Sunday.
Fortunately, the suspicious behaviour of the lorry driver gave the plan away after police personnel at a checkpoint at the Bentong-Kuantan toll plaza here flagged his vehicle down.
Bentong police chief Supt Zaiham Mohd Kahar said today that on pulling aside, the 28-year-old driver told police that he was travelling on an empty load but police insisted he prove it to them.
He said on checking the carriage, police found 1,505 kg of ketum leaves stored in over 300 plastic bags, sacks and boxes.
âIt is the biggest seizure of ketum leaves by Pahang police this year. Our investigations showed that the leaves had left from a northern state on Saturday in another lorry but it broke down in Rawang. The suspect was then called in to deliver the leaves after it was loaded into his lorry. He was promised RM3,000 to undertake the delivery and was paid half the sum as an initial payment,â Zaiham said.
He said the suspect was not given a delivery address but was told that he will be contacted by a man known only as âShamâ for further instructions on his arrival in Kuantan.
Zaiham said the suspect who has five past records for drug-related offences is under a four day remand order.
He said the suspect is being investigated under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act which carries punishment up to four years or a fine up to RM10,000 or both.
