KOTA BHARU: Smugglers have devised a new tactic of floating petrol-filled drums in a chain across Sungai Golok to evade authorities at the Malaysia-Thailand border.
The Second Infantry Division, in a statement today, said this method was discovered after a 42-year-old man was arrested with 24 empty petrol drums during a surveillance operation at 1.50 am yesterday.
The incident occurred in the operational area of the Eighth Infantry Brigade, where a patrol team noticed a suspicious Ford Ranger four-wheel drive approaching the riverbank.
“As they got closer, they spotted individuals floating drums tied together with ropes, believed to be filled with petrol, and pulling them across to Thailand.
“This is one of the tactics used by smugglers to avoid detection, as it eliminates the noise of boat engines during smuggling operations,” the statement read.
Authorities seized 24 empty drums, the Ford Ranger and the suspect’s personal belongings, with the total confiscated items valued at RM23,903.60.
The suspect was handed over to the Tanah Merah district police headquarters for further investigation, and a urine test confirmed he was positive for methamphetamine.
