A man in Kedah was arrested yesterday morning after he was found driving a car that contained about 170kg worth of ketum leaves.
Police said today that they were following the 23-year-old driver from behind when the suspect suddenly stopped, jumped out of his car and ran. He was eventually caught.
“When he realized we were following him, the 23-year-old driver got out of his car and tried to make a run for it, but was caught,” Abdul Ghani Mohammad Ji, the spokesman for the Kuala Perlis police department said. The man was arrested and assisted in investigations for possible smuggling.
“The suspect may have smuggled the ketum leaves from a neighboring country, but we cannot confirm it as investigations are still ongoing,” Abdul said.
Seventeen bags of the illegal substance said to be worth RM5,100 (US$1,230) were found in the car’s boot and seats. The car was also seized.
If found guilty, the man faces a RM10,000 fine and four years in prison.
The use and distribution of the addictive ketum leaves are prohibited in Malaysia although growing ketum is allowed in neighboring countries Thailand and Indonesia.
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