GOF officers seize 8,800 pieces of batik cloth worth RM1.76mil in Tumpat

KOTA BHARU: The General Operations Force (GOF) Southeast Brigade seized 8,800 pieces of smuggled batik cloth from Thailand in an operation in Kampung Simpangan, Tumpat, this morning.

Its commander, Ahmad Radzi Hussain, said the operation began at 7.30am when the raiding team used a drone to observe activities at an illegal jetty in Nibong, Tumpat, and saw a boat from Thailand carrying several gunny sacks.

“Several men were seen transferring the sacks into a lorry before the vehicle moved away in a suspicious manner.

“The team later stopped a white Isuzu Hicom lorry in Kampung Simpangan,” he said in a statement today.

On inspection, the officers found sacks containing 8,800 pieces of batik cloth believed to have been smuggled in from Thailand.

Radzi said a man, aged 32, was arrested. The cloth (worth RM1.76 million) and the lorry (worth RM80,000) were seized.

The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(e) of the Customs Act 1967.

Radzi said the suspect and the seized items have been handed over to the Pengkalan Kubor customs for further action.