Rice smuggler feared drowned in Sungai Golok

A rice smuggling attempt involving two men near the Sungai Golok border resulted in one individual suspected of drowning. The incident occurred around 3:25 PM near an illegal storage area in Pisau Raut, Tumpat.

During a patrol under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan, officers from the Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA) Battalion 8 Intelligence Branch spotted a long-tail engine boat approaching the riverbank. Upon being approached by the officers, both men jumped into the river to swim toward Thailand. While one suspect successfully reached the bank, the other disappeared underwater and is feared drowned.

PGA officers attempted to use the abandoned boat to provide assistance, but the engine propeller became jammed by cloth, rendering it unusable. A subsequent inspection of the boat revealed 1,178 kg of rice and 100 kg of glutinous rice, valued at approximately RM5,412, believed to have been smuggled from Thailand.

Search and rescue efforts for the missing individual are being conducted jointly by Malaysian and Thai authorities. The seized rice has been handed over to the Kelantan Paddy and Rice Regulatory body for further investigation under Section 20 of the National Paddy and Rice Regulatory Act 1994.