KOTA BARU, April 11 — Kelantan police are determined to break the transit chain of drug smuggling from Thailand before it is being distributed to local residents and other states.

"We do not want Kelantan to become an easy route for criminals to smuggle drugs into the country. We will try to break the chain with various strategies that have been achieved together with the Thai security authorities,” said Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun.

"We have seen that from January to March, drug smuggling is on the rise. To stop this rampant infiltration, we will continue to improve cooperation with our Thai counterparts.”

Speaking to reporters at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters here today, he said police have seized various types of drugs worth RM355,430 involving 439 arrests through the integrated screening of Op Tapis from April 2-9.

He said Op Tapis included a raid in Pasir Mas on Sunday where police seized 18,000 yaba pills worth RM180,000 after arresting a local man, aged 26, and a 27-year-old Thai.

"We stopped a rider on a Honda Vario motorcycle along Jalan Rantau Panjang street and found four packages of yaba pills placed at the front of the vehicle.

"We are investigating if this suspect is linked to other previous arrests as they have no previous criminal record.”

Muhamad Zaki said the two suspects will be remanded for seven days starting yesterday for investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. — Bernama