BATU PAHAT: The authorities have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 12kg of drugs out of the country on a foreign fishing boat through the waters of Parit Raja in Pontian.

       Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) operations deputy director Capt Simon Templer Lo Tusa said the incident occurred at around 6.30am on Monday (April 11).

       He added that the agency successfully made the seizure after receiving intelligence about suspicious foreign fishing boats moving around Parit Raja waters.

       “The MMEA deployed a patrol boat in the area and during surveillance, our men spotted the vessel with two men on board,” he said.

       “We then directed them to stop immediately but they sped off towards the Parit Raja coastline. The two suspects then jumped overboard when the vessel began to sink," he added at a press conference at the Batu Pahat maritime zone office here.

       He added that checks on the boat, which did not have any registration number on it, found an air pistol with three pellets hidden in a bag, as well as a mobile phone.

       “Further checks found 12 plastic bags of drugs, believed to be syabu, hidden inside an orange-coloured barrel,” he added.

       He said all the items were brought back to the Batu Pahat maritime zone office for further investigations under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and Section 8(a) of the Weapons Act 1960.

       He added that the seized items included the 12kg of drugs, the air pistol and pellets, a 6.4m boat with a 40HP engine.

       The total value of the items was estimated at RM628,800, he said.

       “The drugs were meant to be smuggled to Indonesia. The MMEA will continue to enhance our monitoring, patrolling and enforcement from time to time to make sure Johor waters remain safe and (free) from any illegal activities,” he said.