PETALING JAYA: Kelantan police are investigating reports that drug traffickers may be using cattle and goats to smuggle narcotics across the Thai border.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said authorities suspect drug traffickers are using legally imported livestock to smuggle narcotics by starving the animals to stop them from excreting the hidden drugs, New Straits Times reported.
“We received information a few months ago indicating that certain cattle and goats, legally imported across the border, were not being fed by their owners during the quarantine period.
“Ordinarily, livestock should be provided with food. However, we suspect that the owners — believed to be in cahoots with drug traffickers — intentionally withheld feed, fearing that the animals might defecate and excrete the drugs hidden inside them,“ Mohd Yusoff explained.
Police are currently collaborating with the Veterinary Services Department and other agencies to examine the allegations.
“While we have yet to uncover concrete evidence, the possibility remains that cattle and goats are being used as drug mules.
“This issue remains firmly on our enforcement radar, and we are continuing efforts with other agencies to track down those responsible,“ he added.
Multiple illegal livestock facilities have been discovered along the Kelantan-Thai border, particularly between Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah.
The geography aids smuggling operations, with shallow sections of the Golok River providing easy crossing points for livestock.
“Of the 136km of border shared with Thailand, 91km comprises river territory, with about 41km falling within our monitoring zone,“ Mohd Yusoff said.
Enforcement has strengthened across more than 10 identified hotspots over the past four to five months, with brigade commanders instructed to increase patrols in affected areas.
